Love Shack
by Hideki LaShae
Summary: Two disguised boys meet a club to dance and fall in love, but they hate each other in real life. After discovering Hikari's true identity to be Jou, Yami Kaiba decides to seduce the blond into loving the real him. KS/JK
1. Chapter 1

The Love Shack

Love Shack

By

Hideki LaShae

Chapter One

I'm unusually quiet as I walk to my seat and sit down. My friends send worried looks my way, but I smile to reassure them. Everything really is okay. I'm just quiet today. I'm always like this after I see you. You like me to be quiet and I like to please you although I don't know who you are.

Yugi leans towards me and whispers, "Are you okay, Jou?"

"I'm fine, Yugi," I whisper in return, "I'm just tired. It was a long weekend."

Yugi nods and sits back in his chair. He smiles at me and turns his attention to the instructor at the front of the room.

I turn my attention to the instructor as well only to gasp in shock as the classroom door opens for a disheveled and yawning Kaiba to enter.

"I'm glad you could join us today, Kaiba. Take your seat now," says the instructor.

Kaiba yawns again as he strolls towards me and collapses into the seat at our shared desk. He glances at me briefly before closing his eyes and relaxing.

I turn my eyes back to the instructor and yawn. I can't help but feel as tired as Kaiba looks. After all, I did spend my weekend nights with you.

"If you're that tired, Jou, go ahead and fall asleep, but I expect you to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow morning when you have a quiz on this material," says the instructor.

"Thanks teach!" I exclaim as I lay my head on the tabletop and fall asleep in a moment.

Yugi wakes me all too soon, and I see him shaking Kaiba.

"Leave me alone, you little rodent," mumbles Kaiba opening his eyes.

"Sorry, Kaiba, but the next class is about to start," says Yugi, "and Kurayami is just dying for a reason to fail you or Jou."

Kaiba yawns and rubs his eyes before smoothing his hair a little and straightening his clothes.

"Thanks for the wake-up call, Yugi," I say with a smile.

Yugi smiles as he takes his seat, but after five minutes of the teacher not showing up he comes back over. "So why are you always so tired on Monday mornings, Jou?"

I can feel myself blushing. "I spend my weekends at a night club."

"You?" Yugi raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I go to the Love Shack to dance," I say.

Yugi lowers his voice. "Jou, are you sure that's safe? Most people go to the Love Shack to hook up with a stranger for sex."

"Not really. That's just the impression the club gives. Most of the people there are regulars. And they either come with the same person or they meet the same person every week. When I first went there, I was shocked to only find a few people who were there as singles. I've hooked up with one of them and we meet there every weekend," I explain in a quiet voice.

"What's his name?" asks Yugi skeptically.

I can really feel myself blush now. "I don't know. I call him Yami, and he calls me Hikari. Now don't give me that look, Yugi. I haven't slept with him. All we do is dance and some mild petting. He loves to pet my hair. I don't think he even realizes that my natural hair color isn't Kool-aid red."

Yugi giggles, but he stops quickly when he sees the teacher come in. He hurries to sit down.

I chuckle at Yugi before glancing at Kaiba to see him pale-fac4ed and shaking almost unnoticeably. "Kaiba? Are you all right?"

Kaiba barely shakes his head.

I stand up. "Kurayami-sensei, Kaiba isn't feeling well. May I escort him to the nurse's office?"

The demon-like teacher looks at Kaiba and also notices the white as a ghost complexion. He huffs. "Fine! Straight to the nurse's office and straight back!"

I help Kaiba to his feet and he seems to shake more as I guide him out of the classroom. "Do you need me to help you or can you walk on your own?"

"Don't touch me," whispers Kaiba.

I remove my hands from Kaiba's back, but I wrap my arms around him again when he collapses against the wall. "Do you think maybe you should go home or to a doctor or something?"

Kaiba rips himself from my arms and runs into the nearest bathroom.

I follow just a step behind and glare at the occupants of the room. "All right, girls! Everybody out! You head back to class!"

The three aghast girls storm out of the bathroom, and I walk up to Kaiba who leans against the sink. "Kaiba?"

Kaiba turns and enters a stall, immediately falling to his knees and throwing up the contents of his stomach into the bowl.

I get a paper towel and dampen it with cold water before entering the stall. I rub Kaiba's back gently while the hand holding the cloth wipes his hair away from his face.

Kaiba leans back against me, and I wipe his face with the cloth.

"Don't touch me," whispers Kaiba hoarsely.

"Are you feeling better?" I ask.

"No."

"Let's get you to the nurse." I stand up and help Kaiba to his feet before walking out with him in my protective embrace. "Are you sure that you shouldn't go to a doctor? I think it's a good idea."

"Leave me alone, mutt."

"I can't. I'm the only think holding you up right now," I say as I open the door to the nurse's office and guide Kaiba in.

"Please tell me you two did not get into another fight!" exclaims the nurse when she sees us enter.

"Not this time," says Kaiba, "but it is still early."

"Ha, ha. He's not feeling well," I say, "We had to make a detour to the bathroom on our way here."

"Have a seat and I'll take a look at you," says the nurse, "You can return to class, Jou."

I help Kaiba to the chair before I head back to class. I take my seat silently and try to catch up on the lecture already in progress. I try not to let it bother me that the seat beside me remains vacant all day.

When the final bell rings, Yugi comes up to me to help gather Kaiba's books and place them neatly in the abandoned bag. "What do you think is wrong with Kaiba?"

"I don't know. He just looked tired earlier, but then he got all pale and weak. He even threw up," I say, "So you know he had to be really sick." I stand up with my bag in hand and swing Kaiba's over my shoulder.

"Do you suppose he's still at the nurse's office?" asks Yugi grabbing his own bag so we can walk from the classroom together.

"Oh. I hope not! If he was that sick, she should have sent him to a hospital!" I exclaim. "Let's go check with her anyway!"

"Do I sense someone has a crush?" asks Yugi.

"Maybe on Yami," I whisper. I turn my head away to hide my blush.

"Your Yami must be something special," whispers Yugi with a slight blush of his own.

"He is," I say as we make our way to the nurse's office, "And what of your Yami? Isn't he also something special?"

"He is, but he doesn't even realize that I have a crush on him," says Yugi with a sigh, "Plus there's the issue of us sharing a body so it would be hard for us to have a relationship."

"It wouldn't be hard to have a relationship, but a physical one would be impossible," I say as I stop in front of the door into the nurse's office, "I'm sorry. Here I am all happy about my Yami and you can't even have what I do with yours. I'm being so inconsiderate. I'm sorry."

"Jou. You're not inconsiderate! Don't be sorry about being happy," says Yugi, "Just be happy." He opens the door and walks in.

I follow behind Yugi and look all around for Kaiba.

"Is Kaiba still around?" asks Yugi when he sees the nurse.

"Oh, no! I sent him home hours ago!" exclaims the nurse.

"Great! We thought we'd check here before we walked all the way to his house to give him his books and homework," says Yugi, "He is okay, isn't he?"

"He'll be fine," says the nurse with a smile, "Just don't fight with him until his strength returns, Jou!"

"I won't!"

"What was wrong with him?" asks Yugi giving the nurse his signature 'angel eyes'.

"Nothing as far as I could tell," says the nurse, "but it could have been something as simple as eating an improperly cooked piece of food or having drank too much."

"Drank? Alcohol? Kaiba?" If my eyes get any wider, they will fall out of my head.

"It's possible. He's a businessman, and it isn't uncommon for alcoholic beverages to be served at business functions," says the nurse, "I'm not saying that he had a hangover or that he's even had a drink before, but it is a possibility."

"Do you think he's an alcoholic?" I ask lowering my eyes to the floor.

"No! I think this is just a simple case of nausea due to improperly cooked food!" exclaims the nurse quickly.

"Well, thanks!" I exclaim as I head out with Yugi.

"Do you want to go drop our bags at the game shop and go deliver Kaiba's homework?" asks Yugi.

"I'm sure getting his homework will really make his day worse!" I grin. "Okay, let's go! To your place to get rid of our dead weight before we go to Kaiba's and ditch some more!"

Yugi shakes his head and grabs my arm to pull me out of the school.

"So… what does your Yami do while you're at school?"

"He reads. He studies. There's not much else he can do when he's inside my soul," says Yugi, "And he talks to me sometimes, but he usually waits for school to be over before he does that."

"Does he ever watch you in the shower?"

Yugi blushes. "He'd know about my crush if he did. That's my time to dream about him."

"Do you think you'll ever tell him?" I ask.

Yugi sighs, but then he smiles. "I should. I should tell him. He'll never know otherwise, and it would be nice to know if he feels the same way as I do. What about you? Do you think you'll ever tell your Yami?"

"I've been thinking a lot about him recently. I really like him, and I think I want to take our relationship to the next level," I say, "I want to kiss him. We never have before. When we get together, we dance and we talk about school… nothing specific though just 'I hate my math teacher' sort of stuff… We talk about Duel Monsters a lot too. We strategize a lot and talk about specific cards or televised duels. But for the most part, we just dance and hold each other. We're actually very quiet for the most part. He likes me quiet so when I do talk, I'm whispering into his ear."

Yugi intertwines his fingers with mine. "You do what you have to do, Jou. Just please be careful. You don't know a lot about him. I don't want you to be hurt."

"I'll be careful." I squeeze Yugi's hand.

We reach the game shop and head up to Yugi's room to leave our bags there. We wave to Grandpa Motou as we head back out and start walking towards Kaiba's mansion. Little were we aware of what was happening there at his very moment.

* * *

"Here, big brother," says Mokuba passing Seto a glass of club soda, "Drink it down now. Then you can tell me why you had to come home early."

Seto takes a small drink and cringes at the taste. "Since when did you become the older brother?"

"Since you came home sick today," says Mokuba jumping up to sit on the bathroom counter, "and you're never sick." He sighs and watches Seto drink some more. "Were you drinking this weekend… when you went out to the club?"

"I had one drink that I split with my date," says Seto finishing his club soda, "Other than that, we just had sodas or orange juice. I barely had enough to give me a buzz. I'm not hung over."

"Well then why are you sick? Did you eat some bad sushi?"

"It wasn't something I ate. It actually has to do with my date at the club," says Seto, "We had a wonderful time with each other, like usual, but I don't think I can see him again."

"Why not?" asks Mokuba curiously.

"Yugi and Jou were talking today. Jou mentioned he's been going to the club, and he described my date as being himself. He told Yugi that he calls me Yami and I call him Hikari," says Seto, "I've been spending my weekends with the mutt! That's why I got sick! The thought of him touching me or kissing me…"

"Wait a minute!" Mokuba slams his small fist into the counter. "You're telling me that your subconscious mind made you sick because you've kissed Jou?"

"I haven't kissed him, but I had wanted to!" Seto leans back away from the toilet he leans against. "We never exchanged real names! I didn't know it was him, but I had liked being there with him. We weren't enemies. I had wanted to kiss him and maybe take him on a date outside the club. Then he turned out to be Jou!"

"Kaiba Seto! Listen to yourself! Do you realize how nonsensical this all is?" asks Mokuba, "You have made yourself physically sick because you've been enjoying time spent with a person who is only your enemy because you make him be!"

"I make him be my enemy?" Seto glares at Mokuba.

"Yes! You were the one to seek out and destroy the fourth Blue-Eyes, which wasn't a direct attack on Jou, but since it hurt Yugi, you forced Jou into protective mode! You're the one who starts the fights with Jou by calling him names and hurting his pride! You're the one who thought Jou was worthless when he took the Duelist Kingdom prize money from Yugi to pay for an eye operation for his little sister. Jou would be your friend if it wasn't for you always attacking him and putting him down!"

"Mokuba…"

"No, Seto! Listen! You have fun with Hikari! You do! You've told me that after every trip you've made to the club!" exclaims Mokuba, "You aren't a Kaiba when you're with Hikari! You're my brother again! You're free when you're with Hikari… free from stress, free from public opinion, free to be seventeen, free to feel again! Don't take that away from yourself!"

"I'm not the one taking it away," says Seto, "Jou did that. If I never knew they were the same person, I could still see Hikari and have fun with him. If I never knew he was Jou, I could see myself kissing him and maybe bringing him home to bed… even telling him I love him someday. But I can't tell Jou that. Jou isn't supposed to make me feel the things Hikari does. Jou is a stupid mutt! Hikari is special!"

"So is Jou. You've just never let yourself see that before."

Seto leans his head against the wall and closes his eyes.

"Does Jou know that you're Yami?" whispers Mokuba.

Seto scoffs. "Do you really think I'd tell the mutt he's been spending his weekends in my arms? He'd throw up on me! I, at least, had the courtesy of going into a bathroom. Even if he did have to chase the girls out of it."

"So… when you were puking, was he rubbing your back and pulling your hair from your face?" asks Mokuba with a tiny grin.

Seto looks at his brother with one eye. "What?"

"And when you were done, did he wash your face?" Mokuba's grin widens at the look on his older brother's face. "He did! Jou's like that, you know! When someone he cares about is sick, he'll do what he can to take care of them and make them feel better. He did the same to me when I got sick at the game shop!"

"I should get to work," says Seto.

Mokuba's eyes widen.

Seto pushes himself to his feet and clutches his stomach. "Or at least go to bed."

"Bed! Now! I'm not letting you go to work sick!" exclaims Mokuba hopping down from the counter. He grabs Seto's hand and leads him out of the bathroom and to his bed. "I'll make the call to your secretary so she knows you're not coming in."

Seto climbs into bed and tosses the blanket half-hazardly over himself. "Can you bring me another glass?"

"Sure, Seto!" Mokuba smiles as he heads from the room.

* * *

"So I guess the description tall, dark, and handsome fits your Yami well then," says Yugi as we reach the gates to the Kaiba Mansion.

"I think so anyway, but I could be biased," I say.

Yugi moves up to the guard booth. "Are the Kaiba brothers in? I have a delivery from the Kame Game Shop for Mokuba and also Kaiba's homework from school."

"Names?" asks the guard.

"Yugi and Jou." Yugi smiles.

The guard lifts a phone and punches in an extension number. "Master Mokuba, there are two boys out here at the main gate claiming to be delivering Master Kaiba's homework and something from the Kame Game Shop… Yugi and Jou… yes… Right away, sir."

Yugi smiles.

The guard puts the phone back and presses some buttons on his console. As the gates start to open, he says, "You can go on in. Master Mokuba will be waiting for you."

"Thank you," says Yugi before we duck through the gate and start up the long driveway.

"The driveway here is an exercise routine all on its own!" I whine.

Yugi chuckles.

The front door opens upon our arrival, and the butler leads us into the kitchen where Mokuba's busy filling a sandwich plate with crackers.

"Hi, Mokuba!" exclaims Yugi.

"Hey." I smile when Mokuba glances my way.

"Hi, guys," says Mokuba putting the plate on a serving tray beside a glass of a slightly amber liquid. "Did you bring Seto's homework?"

"I have it right here!" I pat the bag over my shoulder.

Mokuba blushes. "I know you don't get along with my brother very well, but he really is quite sick. Will you take this tray and his homework up to him?"

"Sure!" I exclaim with a huge grin as I take the tray, "Which way?"

"Up the stairs. Second door on the left," says Mokuba, "and make sure he stays in bed."

"That's his bedroom?" I ask slightly crestfallen.

"Well… yeah," says Mokuba giving me his version of Yugi's 'angel eyes', and I thought it was hard to resist Yugi.

"Okay. Second floor. Second door on the left," I say as I head from the room.

"Yugi," whispers Mokuba, "I need some advice."

"What is it?" whispers Yugi stepping closer to Mokuba.

"My brother's involved in something that's going to hurt someone," says Mokuba, "He's been seeing someone for awhile now, and he really likes that person. Now I think they're going to break up for no reason."

"Mokuba, there may not be a reason you can see, but that doesn't mean there isn't one…"

Mokuba places his hand on Yugi's mouth. "Swear to me on the soul of your other half that this conversation stays in this room!"

"I swear, Mokuba, that should I reveal what you are about to say, that my Yami should depart from me forever," says Yugi.

Mokuba glances at the door. "Seto is Yami. Seto's been meeting Jou at the club every weekend! He heard you two talking about it today!"

"Oh… fuck! We need to tell Jou!"

"You swore!" exclaims Mokuba, "I know he deserves to know, but it's really hurt Seto to find out that the guy he's falling… or maybe fallen in love with is really Jou. This could really hurt Jou if we tell him. I need your advice on how to convince Seto to tell Jou himself."

"I don't know if there is a way. Maybe the best thing would be for Yami to stand up Hikari and just not show up next time. It would hurt Jou but maybe not as much as finding out who Yami is," says Yugi.

"I want Seto and Jou to be happy." Mokuba's shoulders slump.

Yugi pulls Mokuba into a hug. "We can't decide that for them."

"Can't you just have your other half mind-wipe Seto so he forgets that Jou is Hikari, or better yet… forgets why he hates Jou?"

"You know I can't."

* * *

I walk up the stairs and count the doors. I pause before I open the door and enter Kaiba's room. My eyes drift to the bed where Kaiba rests still in his school uniform. I see his eyes are closed so I quietly close the door and walk up to the side of the bed. I place the tray on the nightstand and deposit the bag on the floor by the desk. Then I move to the bed and sit down on the edge of it.

"Did you bring me a drink, Mokuba?" asks Kaiba keeping his eyes closed.

I grab the glass from the tray. "I'm not Mokuba, but I did bring you a drink."

Kaiba's eyes burst open and his complexion pales even more as he sees me. "What are you doing here?"

I pass the glass to Kaiba and grin. "I came by to see how you're doing?"

Kaiba's hands shake as he lifts the glass to his lips. "You were worried about me?"

"Man, I'm just pulling your chain!" I exclaim, "I mean, yeah I might have been a little concerned that you're sick, but the main reason I'm here is to bring you your books and homework! Yugi wrote up the list for you since you can't read my handwriting!"

"So you came to bring me homework? You weren't worried about me?"

"Just homework. Nothing else!"

Kaiba sighs and takes another drink. "I assume Mokuba made you bring this up."

"Yep! He also said I had to make you eat these crackers too," I say as I grab the plate from the tray, "I tell you, man… I don't pity you having to eat these things!"

Kaiba takes one cracker and nibbles on it until it's half done then he puts it back, takes a sip from his glass and passes it to me.

I set the glass and plate down on the tray. I reach for the blanket as I stand.

"Get away from me, mutt!" Kaiba sits bolt upright.

My eyes widen. "You're still in your school uniform?"

Kaiba clutches his stomach. "And what else should I be wearing?"

"Duh! Pajamas!" I exclaim grabbing his arm and yanking him out of bed. "Where do you keep them? I'll get them."

"I don't have pajamas," says Kaiba.

"Too much info," I say, "Now take off that jacket and those pants and get back in bed!"

"No."

"You only have two choices. You take them off yourself, or I do it for you! And you're not my lover so I won't be gentle with you!" I yell, "Now shut up and do it!"

"Turn and close your eyes."

I turn so my back faces Kaiba and I close my eyes. "Okay, now change."

"I hate you, mutt."

"Yeah, I know. I love you too moneybags!" I taunt as I hear the rustling of clothing behind me.

"Say that when I'm feeling better and I'll kill you," says Kaiba. "Okay, I'm in bed now."

I turn and open my eyes to see the jacket and pants in a pile on the floor. I see Kaiba in bed with his left arm completely covered by the pillow. I grab the blanket and cover Kaiba up to his chin. "Stay in bed and rest."

"Get out of my room," says Kaiba.

"Gladly! Now I can tell Mokuba you're an ass but I was nice to you!" I exclaim as I head back out the door. I walk down the stairs and back into the kitchen where Yugi and Mokuba sit close together. "Am I missing something?"

Yugi looks away guiltily.

"We were just talking about a problem I have with… my girlfriend," says Mokuba, "It's no big deal really."

"If you need advice maybe I can help," I say, "I know a lot about girls because of my sister!"

"Thanks, Jou, but I think I'm covered!" Mokuba smiles at me. "Now… were you nice to Seto?"

"Yep! He's in bed. He ate a cracker. And I didn't manhandle him," I say, but under my breath I mumble, "Much."

"Thank you, Jou," says Mokuba, "The limo is waiting outside to take you home."

"Great! Thanks! Come on, Yugi. We might still have time to do some homework before I have to head home!" I exclaim.

Yugi smiles at me. "Bye, Mokuba. I'm sure this will all work itself out!"

"Bye, Yugi. Bye, Jou!"

"See you later, kid," I say as Yugi leads me out of the house and into the limo. I settle down into the seat with a comforted sigh. "Yugi… were you guys talking about me while I was gone?"

"You're just being paranoid, Jou."

"Did he mention what was wrong with Kaiba?"

"Food poisoning. Apparently Kaiba can't have raw fish. It has to be cooked or sashimi," says Yugi, "but he says it's happened before so we don't need to worry about him."

"I wasn't worried…"

"Jou…"

"Much anyway."

Yugi cuddles up to me and rests his head on my arm. "Do you think you and Kaiba could ever look beyond your differences and become friends?"

"Sure! When hell freezes over or he and I get turned into the other's favorite dragon!" I exclaim.

"So you don't thing you could ever, say, fall in love with him?" asks Yugi.

"Me? In love with Kaiba? No way!"

"You don't even think he's cute?"

"Oh he's cute all right, but then you hit his lack of personality and all things romantic fly out the window," I say, "I he were a different person inside, then I could see us having a chance together, but he isn't a different person inside. He's an ass!"

"Maybe you're right." Yugi sighs. "Or maybe he's just afraid to let anyone get close enough to realize that he's not an ass inside."

The limo pulls to a stop at the curb outside the Kame Game Shop.

"Kaiba is just Kaiba," I say as we climb from the back of the limo, "and nothing will ever change that. And no matter what you're thinking… I'm not interested in him. He's not my type at all!"

"Too bad cause he looks a little like you described Yami."

"He looks nothing like Yami!"

"Whatever you say, Jou," says Yugi with a smile.

* * *

"Wish me luck, Yugi," I say as I walk out the classroom door with my best friend.

"You always have great luck, Jou," says Yugi. He stops suddenly, and his already large eyes widen. "Why do you need luck?"

"Tonight's the night," I say with an apprehensive grin, "I'm going to kiss him!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean you don't even know his real name!"

"I may not know his name, but I know him!" I exclaim, "I'm so happy when I'm with him! This could be love… my first. I'm going to kiss him tonight… I just hope that I don't lose my nerve when I'm in his arms!"

"Okay, Jou. If this is truly what you want, then I wish you all the luck in the world! I hope he shares your feelings!" exclaims Yugi smiling at me, "But be careful! I don't want you to get hurt if he doesn't care for you like that."

"I'll be careful! Now I've got to get home! I'm doing something special with my appearance tonight!" I wink before I hurry towards my home. I lock myself in my room as soon as I arrive and I throw my homework down on my desk. I start my weekend ritual by stripping off all my clothes and lying down on my bed. I reach over and turn on my bedside radio.

As the music fills the air, my hands move to my body, touching myself in the same deliciously sinful ways You touch me. I pretend it is you. I touch my neck with precision, caressing only the sensitive spots you're stroked before. My hands move down to gently rub my nipples and caress my chest and stomach.

I take a deep breath as one of my hands travels down to a part of me you've never touched before. I wrap my fingers around my aroused length and imagine that it's you stroking me. I work myself towards completion as I dream of you. I pretend you're the one touching me while I touch you. My body jerks as I release into the air.

I close my eyes and just listen to a few songs as my body calms down. I sit up with a sigh and climb from bed. I grab my fluffy bathrobe from the back of my door and slip it on. I unlock my door and head out to the bathroom. I start to fill the bathtub with hot water and my bubble bath in preparation for the second step in my weekend routine. I drop my robe and slip into the half-filled tub as I turn the water off. I sink down as low as I can and relax into the water's hear. I wonder what you're doing as I scrub my body, but I don't let my thoughts arouse me again. I rinse the soap off and climb from the tub. I wrap a towel around myself before pulling the plug to drain the water.

"I wonder if you pleasure yourself before our dates," I whisper. I blush and dry myself quickly. I put my robe back on and head into the kitchen for my Kool-aid dye job. I grab a sandwich to eat while I color my hair, but I eat it all before I even have the sink plugged and the Kool-aid made. The good thing about having blond hair is it takes the color really well.

My dad enters the house through the kitchen door just as I'm rapping an old towel around my soaked hair. "You going out again this weekend?"

"Yeah."

"Don't bring home any STDs."

"I won't."

My dad nods and grabs a beer can from the fridge before heading to his bedroom to change out of his work uniform and take a bath in the master bathroom. At least I'll still have the main bathroom to do my prep work. I grab a bottle of juice and drink it on the way back to the bathroom. I remove the towel and blow-dry my hair with the hairdryer Shizuka forgot to take home after her last visit.

I take off my robe so that I can rub lotion into every inch of my skin. You like my skin to be soft. You said once, "Soft skin begs to be touched."

By applying lotion, I make my skin soft because I am begging for your touch. I hold my breath as I rub lotion onto my private parts. I slip a single finger into my entrance. This is something I've started in these past few weeks. The more I've been day-dreaming about kissing you, the more I want you to touch me in places you've never touched before… and even though I am embarrassingly enough still untouched by love, I don't want you to know I'm inexperienced. I remove my finger from my anal passage and ash my hands.

You like my hair away from my face.

I put some mousse in my hair and style it back so that my eyes are revealed fully. I put my robe on and return to my room. I pull my outfit from my closet and place it on the foot of my bed. I sit down at my desk and pull out my make-up kit and mirror. First I brush on a dusting of sparkles to my face and neck. Then I apply the eyeliner to accentuate my eyes. You like my eyes. Finally I put on my lip gloss, but then I remember something, and I hurry back to the bathroom to brush my teeth and tongue and use the mouthwash to rinse. I return to my room and re-apply the lip gloss.

I stop. This is where I deviate from the norm. I take a deep breath and reach into my make-up kit again to pull out a crystal tattoo. I read the directions again before I shed my robe. I pull the back of the tattoo off and position the crystals around my belly button before pressing the sunburst tattoo against my skin. I relax as I wait for a few minutes before I pull off the plastic cover that holds all the crystals in shape. I smile at the tattoo and blush when I think of your reaction to my body art. I look over to the outfit I've chosen.

You like me in black. You like me in leather. You like me in revealing clothing because you like to touch my soft skin. You will like this new outfit I've gotten.

I move to the foot of my bed and lift my pants. I pull the leather up my legs and settle them around my hips. I zip them up and fasten the button. My waist and navel are left revealed. I really am begging for your touch. I lift the silk shirt and fumble with undoing the buttons. I hate buttons, but I'll wear this shirt for you. I think you have a button fetish.

I get the last button undone, and I slip the sleeveless shirt on. I hope you don't realize that this shirt is supposed to be women's, but I think the low Johnny-collar may give it away. Plus it only covers half my torso leaving my mid-riff bare so you can easily see my crystal tattoo. I get my shirt buttoned up properly, and I get my black sneakers from the closet. Once my shoes are on I take a quick rundown of my appearance.

Shirt? Check. Pants? Check. Shoes? Double check. Hair color? Red. Make-up? Applied. Crystal tattoo? In place. I check off everything and realize that I'm ready to go. I grab my wallet and place it into a pocket on my upper thigh. I'm all decked out to go. I have my ID and a little cash. All that's left is grabbing my jacket as I head out the door. I head into the bathroom to look at myself in the mirror, and I splash on a little cologne. I put on my deodorant and take a close look at my face in the mirror. "No major blemishes and still no reason to shave. I'm beginning to think I'll never grow facial hair."

I head out of the bathroom and walk to my dad's bedroom door. I knock lightly.

The door opens, and my dad looks at me. "That's a new outfit."

"Yeah." I blush.

"Take your coat. It's supposed to get cold tonight," says my dad, "Do you have money?"

"I have a bit."

My dad pulls out his wallet and gives me the largest bill he has inside. "Don't spend it all tonight."

"Thanks, Dad," I say, "Do you need me to bring anything home?"

"No. I actually have a date tonight with a girl from work," says my dad, "So if I'm lucky, I'll be at her place tonight."

"Don't bring home any STDs," I say.

"Don't forget your key and get the hell out of here," says my dad slamming his door in my face.

I pull my wallet out as I walk towards the front door and I put my money away. I put the wallet back and take my key from a hook on the wall to put in the zippered pocket on my left thigh. I take my leather jacket from the coat closet and slip it on before I head out the door and into the early night. As I start to walk to the bus stop, I wonder if you take as much time to get ready as I do.


	2. Chapter 2

Love Shack

Love Shack

By

Hideki LaShae

Chapter Two

Seto sits in a comfortable chair in the living room working on his laptop computer.

Mokuba steps into the living room with a bowl of popcorn and a soda. "Seto, what are you doing?"

"Scanning Kaiba Corps financial records for signs of embezzlement," says Seto.

"That's not what I mean. It's seven o'clock," says Mokuba setting his snack on the table in front of the couch.

Seto glances at the clock display on his computer before looking over at his little brother. "So it is. What's your point, Mokuba?"

"Shouldn't you be getting ready to go to the club?"

"Club? Oh, you mean the Love Shack. I'm not going."

"Why not?" asks Mokuba.

"Why should I? Hikari isn't the person I thought he was. I'm never going back there again. I'll lay low, and in a few weeks I'll find a new club to go to and a new dance partner to be with," says Seto, "It's no big loss. Hikari is replaceable!"

"Seto! I can't believe you just said that!" exclaims Mokuba, "Stop for a moment and think! If the situation was reversed and Jou knew you were Yami… How would you feel if you were sitting at the club right now waiting for him to come and he never does?"

"I'd be happy…"

"Like hell!"

"Mokuba!"

"Just listen! You would be hurt if a person you knew and trusted blew you off for no reason!" exclaims Mokuba, "I mean… how do you think you would feel if you took time away from all your responsibilities to spend the day with me and I ditched you in the first five minutes?"

Seto closes his eyes so he can't see his brother. "I would ground you for life."

"Seto. I understand if you never want to see Hikari again. And I know that you're upset and disappointed and maybe even hurt because Hikari turned out to be someone you didn't want him to be, but don't hurt him like this! I understand if you want to break off this relationship with Hikari, but do it clean!" Tears roll down Mokuba's cheeks. "Go there tonight! Tell him that you can't see him anymore, but don't just leave him wondering!"

Seto opens his eyes and stares at his crying brother. His shock of hearing such intense emotion shows on his face. He closes his laptop and sets it down beside him before he moves to Mokuba and wraps his arms around him. He sits in the floor and pulls Mokuba into his lap. "Why does this mean so much to you?"

"I don't want you to hurt Jou! I don't want you to hurt you!" exclaims Mokuba as his tears soak into Seto's shirt, "I want you to be happy, and being with Hikari has done that!"

"I'm not going…"

"But Seto," whines Mokuba.

"Not until you stop crying," says Seto.

Mokuba tenses. He looks at Seto and wipes his eyes. "You're going to the club?"

"I'll go break up with him in person," says Seto.

Mokuba wipes his eyes again. "You need to go get ready!"

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Can I order a pizza?"

"If it will make you feel better, you can order a vegetarian pizza. I noticed you didn't eat your vegetables at dinner," says Seto, "So if you order pizza, you have to eat the vegetables."

"I will! Thanks, Seto!" Mokuba smiles. "Now go get ready to leave!"

Seto hugs Mokuba before lifting him off his lap. "I'm just going to break things off with him though. I'll be back by ten so save me a slice of the pizza."

Mokuba nods.

Seto stands and heads up to his room to change clothes and put on his disguise as Yami. He easily and quickly puts on his black leather pants and red muscle shirt. It takes him a few seconds longer to put on and button his black, and tattered to be sleeveless, shirt. He notices that there's an extra hole right over his left nipple and the bottom has also unraveled a little so the red can be seen.

Seto looks at the tattoo on his left arm's bicep, and he sneers. When he got the Red-Eyes/Blue-Eyes Dragon yin-yang tattoo, the mutt didn't have the Red-Eyes Black Dragon card yet. He wasn't even dueling yet, but now the tattoo reminds him of the blond idiot instead of the balancing yin-yang it was intended to.

Seto shoves all thoughts aside and heads into his bathroom to put in his red dragon-slit contacts, streak his chestnut hair with waves of blue-tinted hair gel that leaves his hair disheveled, and apply the dark make-up to his eyes and lips. As he looks at his reflection, he can't help but wonder how the mutt didn't recognize him. He returns to his room to put on his most comfortable pair of boots and his red leather palm gloves.

Seto removes the necklace that holds Mokuba's picture and replaces it with a Gothic cross. He heads down to the living room where Mokuba sits watching a movie. "I'm leaving now, but I'll be back soon. We'll play a game if you're not too tired when I get back."

Mokuba smiles weakly. "Okay."

Seto leaves and climbs into his car.

* * *

I twirl my straw in the glass of ice I hold. Fourteen, I think as another song comes on, I've sat here for fourteen songs, and you haven't showed up yet. Are you coming?

From the table where I sit, our usual table, I can clearly see the door. I'll see you as soon as you come in. That is if you do come. I'm beginning to wonder. I set my glass down on the table and close my eyes as I feel tears starting to form. Have I done something wrong? Have I displeased you? Did I wait too long? Have I missed my only chance to kiss you?

"Are you waiting for someone?"

I gasp and open my eyes to stare at you. I smile as a tear escapes my eye.

You slide into the seat beside me and wipe the tear from my cheek. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"What took you?"

"I had to drop my little brother off at a sleepover," you say, "so I had to go way out of the way to get here to you."

"At least you're here now," I say as I lean up against you.

You tense up.

"Do you want to dance?"

You stand up and pull me to my feet. Your eyes move up and down my body and settle on my new tattoo. You raise an eyebrow and gently stroke the area around the sparkling crystals. "This is new."

I blush. "It is. Do you like it?"

"It's nice," you say as you lead me to the dance floor.

"So you don't like it." I sigh. "That's okay because it isn't going to last long anyway. It comes off with soap and water."

"I think it suits you… your personality is brilliant like the sun. I do like it."

I wrap my arms around you as we start to dance, and I smile. "Thanks."

Your hands move across my bare flesh like they have done a thousand… no, a hundred thousand times before, but the look on your face is different this time. It's like you're memorizing every inch of my skin.

I know you like me silent, but I can't help but moan a little as you touch a few particularly sensitive places.

"I need to tell you something," you whisper into my ear.

I look into your eyes, and I don't recognize what I see there. I don't waste time thinking about it. I stretch up to press my lips to yours.

Your entire body tenses, and you grip my shoulders tightly.

I pull out of the chaste kiss with wide eyes. It was too soon! I think I messed up. I think… I think I misconstrued our relationship. I start to pull away from you. "I'm sorry, Yami!"

"You should be," you say sternly, "If you're going to kiss someone, you shouldn't stop half-way into it." You pull me up tight against your chest and lower your mouth to mine. You give me several small kisses before your tongue presses against my lips.

I hesitantly part my lips, and I'm pleasantly surprised that your tongue doesn't invade my mouth.

Your tongue laps at my lips as you kiss me, and when I relax in your arms, you slip your tongue into my mouth.

I let you lead in our kiss just as you always lead in our dance. I don't fight your tongue as you explore my mouth, but then you start to press against my tongue and I take a more active approach to our kiss. I fight back until I force your tongue back into your mouth. Then I pull away from your lips and pant heavily.

You run your hand through my hair and smile. "Let's sit down."

I nod and let you lead me back to our table. "What did you want to tell me?"

You pause before you slip into the seat with me. "You're beautiful tonight, Hikari."

I smile and nuzzle your neck with my face. I lay a light kiss over your pulse point.

"This outfit is very nice. Wear it again tomorrow," you say.

I blush and nod.

You pull me back into another kiss, and I crawl into your lap to give you a better vantage point. You pull away and smile. "My color looks good on you."

"Huh?"

"My lip color… it's rubbed off on you. You look good in burgundy."

"Quit trying to make me blush, Yami," I say hiding my face in your shoulder.

"I'm not trying, Hikari," you whisper. One of your hands slips down the back of my pants, and you squeeze the flesh.

My eyes widen and I gasp. "Too fast! Too fast!"

You remove both hands from my body with a hasty, "I'm sorry."

I take a deep breath. "It's okay."

"Maybe we should return to the dance floor."

I climb from your lap and we head back out to dance in each other's arms.

Three songs later and your hands find their way to my skin once again. "Do you ever wonder, Hikari, how our lives would be different if we had met somewhere else?"

"I've thought about it."

"Do you think we could have been friends? Or do you think one of us would have been an ass and we'd wind up enemies?" you ask.

"We'd be friends," I say, "No matter what, we'd be friends." I lean up to give you several small kisses.

"I may test you on that one day," you whisper before tilting my head to kiss my neck.

I moan appreciatively.

"You smell delicious."

"Maybe I'll let you eat me some time." I blush beet red. "I can't believe I just said that!"

You chuckle. "You flirt like a shameless slut though your body moves like you've never had a lover before. If I didn't know you so well, I might take advantage."

I snug up against you. "I'm glad you know me then. Thank you, Yami, for being you."

You squeeze me tight. "Why… why do you make me want to be something I'm not?"

"What do I make you want to be?"

Instead of answering the question, you tilt my chin and kiss me full on the lips, sliding your tongue in my mouth when I part my lips for you. "I don't think I could live without these moments with you."

"Let's sit down."

You guide me back to our table and sit down while pulling me into your lap.

I snuggle up to you and kiss your lips lightly. "Why did we wait so long to kiss?"

"We were both afraid to make the first move, but it was long overdue. I'm glad you kissed me tonight."

I straddle your legs and rub against your crotch as I slide up against you.

You close your eyes tightly and moan.

I blush as I realize just how aroused you are. I can't help but giggle.

Your eyes snap open.

"You're happy!" I kiss your lips. "I'd help you take care of that, but I think it's still too soon for that."

"A trip to the bathroom would be nice right now."

I give you a kiss as I climb off your lap. "I'll be here waiting."

You stand and head into the men's room.

I shift in my seat to try to relieve my own arousal. I look down to see that I am thankfully not coming out of my pants. I check my glass for a piece of ice but I only find water. I see you step out of the rest room and walk towards the bar. I don't have to guess to know what you'll be bringing back to our table, so I just close my eyes and listen to the music.

"I trust you're thirsty," you say as you set two glasses on the table.

I open my eyes and stare at the two glasses as you sit down next to me. "A screwdriver and a soda?"

"Close. It's rum and cola. I thought that since you've made this night special, we could try a new drink. We can take a taste, and if we don't like it, we don't have to drink it. We still have our usual," you say resting an arm over my shoulders.

I smile. Is it too early to say I love you?

You lift the rum and soda to my lips, and I take a sip. Then you take a sip.

"I like it," I say.

"It's good." You give me a kiss and a smile. "But I think it tastes better on you."

I blush. "Can we drink them both?"

"Only if I get to drink my share from your lips…"

"Wouldn't that get me twice as drunk?"

"Possibly, but you have my word that I won't take advantage of you, and I will even drive you home so you get there safely."

"Deal!"

You pass the glass to me, and I start to drink. For every second sip I take, you pill me into an open-mouth kiss and draw the liquid from my mouth. I'm feeling rather adventurous by the time we finish both drinks.

"Should we dance now?"

I crawl into your lap and press my body up against yours. I hold you close and grind my lower extremity against you as I whisper, "I'm happy! You make me happy."

Your eyes rake over my body, and you blush. "We need to get you to the bathroom."

I slide from your lap with a pout.

You stand and pull me to my feet and up against your chest. "Come on, Hikari. We'll get you into the bathroom to take care of that erection you're sporting."

"Are you going to take care of me?"

"How about I hold you while you take care of yourself?" you whisper.

I pout, but before I know it we're in a stall in the restroom, and you're nibbling on my earlobe. I unbutton my pants and lower the zipper as quickly as I can.

One of your hands pets my hair while your other hand rubs my nipple with my shirt button.

"Oh, Yami!" I exclaim as I grab my erection and start to stroke it feverishly, "Fuck me, Yami! Stick your deliciously big cock in my ass and fuck me into oblivion!"

"Tomorrow. If you can go all night without alcohol and you still want me to," you whisper as you start grinding against my clothed rear, "I will ram my dick into your sweet ass so hard you'll see stars until next weekend."

I moan loudly as my release shoots forth from my body, and I turn around in your arms with my now sated cock still hanging out of my pants. I smile when I see your closed eyes so I kiss you. "Promise?"

"You will be sober when I fuck you. I will promise you that," you say but you keep your eyes closed, "Are you decent now?"

"Yes."

You open your eyes and glance down for a brief second before clamping them tight again. "Liar! You said you were decent!"

"I think I'm decent enough for my lover's eyes."

"Fix your pants."

"Help me," I plead.

"You'll be angry with me later if I do. You're drunk," you say.

"I'll forgive you."

You sigh, but you blindly reach to my waist. You keep your eyes firmly closed as you gingerly take my penis and tuck it back into my pants before zipping them closed and fixing the button. Only once your hands are back at my waist do you open your eyes.

"Thank you." I kiss you again, inviting you to deepen it.

You kiss me for a long moment before pulling away and exiting the stall. You turn the water on in one of the sinks and we wash our hands together.

"Can we go make out on the dance floor?" I ask.

"We should not have had that second drink," you say, "Come on. A few songs, and I'll take you home."

I wrap both my arms around your left arm and let you lead me out of the bathroom and onto the dance floor. "Have I ever told you that I love your tattoo? These two dragons are perfect together… the raw power of the Blue-Eyes and the sheer loyalty of the Red-Eyes. If they were lovers, the Blue-Eyes would be dominate… not because of the power difference but because the Red-Eyes would want so much for his lover to be happy and content that he wouldn't fight as hard. He would give up control because he loves the Blue-Eyes with all his heart."

"Really? What else do you have to say about these two dragons?"

"The Blue-Eyes is possessive. If any other dragons would come near the Red-Eyes, he'd chase them away," I say as I cuddle up to you, "He loves the Red-Eyes too, just as much as the Red-Eyes loves him. They are completely devoted to each other. One is light to the other's darkness and not the way you'd think by looking at them."

"You think the Blue-Eyes is dark inside?" you ask as you fiddle with my hair.

"I think the Blue-Eyes has been hurt in the past. That's why he's so strong. He has a strong defensive power to keep himself safe, but he has a strong attacking power because he believes that the best defense is a good offense. He doesn't let many people come close to him because he doesn't want to get hurt again," I say, "The Red-Eyes has also been hurt, and he tries to eliminate his pain by being near people who care about him. His attack power and defensive capabilities exist because he wants to protect those people. Even though he's been hurt before he tries to live in joy. He tries to give that joy to his lover too."

"He succeeds sometimes," you whisper into my ear. You kiss my lips for a long moment. "So which of my dragons is your favorite, Hikari?"

"The Blue-Eyes."

Your eyes widen. "Why?"

"He reminds me of you. Sometimes I think you are a Blue-Eyes transformed into human flesh," I say.

"I am a Blue-Eyes, and you're the Red-Eyes I love so much to protect."

I snuggle up in your arms. "I'm sorry about my behavior tonight. I know you like me quiet, but I just can't help myself tonight."

"I don't mind. I like hearing you talk about dragons."

I smile. You smile, and we dance as we kiss.

Some time later our mouths separate but our bodies don't.

"Do you mind if I take you home, Hikari?" you whisper.

"I don't want to leave you, Yami."

"If I take you home tonight, I'll know where you live so I could pick you up tomorrow for dinner before we come here to dance," you say, "It would be like a real date."

I tiptoe up to whisper into your ear, "Take me home then."

You keep an arm wrapped around me as you escort me back to our table. You lift my leather jacket and set it over my shoulders.

"What time do you want to pick me up tomorrow?" I ask as you guide me out of the club and towards the parking lot.

"How does eight sound?" you reply.

"That sounds good, and you want me to wear this outfit again?"

"I like this outfit on you," you say as we reach a sporty black car and you open the door for me. Your hand caresses the skin around my crystal tattoo. "You look fantastic."

I smile and blush. "Thank you!"

"Get in, Hikari. I want to get you home tonight so I can see you again tomorrow." You smile at me.

I climb into the passenger seat and you close the door before hurrying around to climb into the driver's seat.

You lean into me and give me a passionate kiss, dominating my mouth completely. "I'd like to see the real you."

"You already have."

You nod and fasten your seatbelt.

I pull on my seatbelt as you start the engine.

You throw the car into gear and tear out of the parking spot.

I grip the armrest tightly as the car burns rubber on its way out of the parking lot. "Do you always drive like this, Yami?"

The car slows down.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I don't drive like that when I have someone I care about in the vehicle with me," you say, "but sometimes I forget that I have company in the rush of adrenaline that I get from driving. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drive like that with you here. I hope I didn't scare you."

"I was startled, but it's okay. You don't have to slow down because of me…"

"I have to protect you. I may choose to live my life dangerously but you haven't. I won't let you get killed because of me!"

"My valiant Blue-Eyes!"

"Are you mocking me?"

"No."

Your hands grip the wheel tighter.

"I want to be protected by you," I say, "I really like you."

"I feel the same way… so where am I going?"

"Oh! Right! Take a right at the next light!" I exclaim.

You turn the signal on and hit the brakes.

I continue to give you directions until you park the car outside my house. I lean over to kiss you good night. "Thank you for the ride home."

"I hope you're not expecting me to be a bad boyfriend and not walk you to your door," you say as you unbuckle your seat belt.

I remove my seat belt and climb from the car.

You get out and walk around to me. You gently take my hand. "We should be quiet so we don't wake your family."

"There's no need," I say as we slowly start up the walkway, "My parents are divorced so my mom and sister don't live with me. I just live with my dad, and he's out on a date, I think."

"The way you talk about your sister, I thought she lived with you."

"Wishful thinking. I love her to pieces and want her to live with me." I dig out my key as we reach the door. I unlock and open the door. "Would you like to come in for a moment?"

"I don't think it would be a moment. I'll come in tomorrow and meet your father if you're not too ashamed of me."

I smile and kiss you quickly. "It'd be great to introduce you to my father!"

You pull me into an embrace. "Good night, Hikari."

"Good night, Yami."

You turn slowly and walk back to your car.

I enter the house and close the door once your car door closes. I listen for the sounds of the car engine speeding away before I head to bed.

* * *

Seto drives away from Jou's house with a sigh. "I was supposed to break up with him."

The Kaiba Mansion looms into view and Seto drives up to park right in front of the main entrance. He climbs from his vehicle and heads inside. He goes from room to room turning off lights. He notices an empty pizza box on the kitchen counter, and he checks the refrigerator to see a slice of pizza on a plate. He closes the door and continues on his rounds of turning off the lights.

Seto enters the living room and notices the TV screen showing the flag and playing the national anthem. He lifts the remote and turns the TV off. Then he moves to the couch and lifts his sleeping brother. He turns the lights off as he passes the switch, and he carries Mokuba up the stairs to the room right across the hall from his own. He places Mokuba in bed and turns on the small Duel Monsters lamp to act as a nightlight. He glances at the bedside clock. "Four fifteen in the morning. No wonder you're asleep, Mokuba. I'm sorry I didn't get home earlier. We'll play that game once we've both woken up."

Mokuba rolls onto his side.

Seto tucks the blankets around Mokuba and kisses his cheek. "Sleep well, little brother."

Mokuba smiles slightly.

Seto heads into his own room to select his outfit for his date with Jou before he showers and heads to bed naked. He falls asleep almost as soon as his head hits the pillow.

* * *

Mokuba jumps into the bed beside Seto. "Are you going to sleep all day, big brother?"

Seto peeks open one eye and yawns. "What time is it?"

"Eight-thirty," says Mokuba lying down facing Seto, "I waited up for you. What time did you get in last night?"

"I got in at four this morning," says Seto as he places an arm around his little brother.

"So I guess Jou was devastated when you broke up with him…"

"I didn't do it."

"Huh?"

"He looked more radiant than normal tonight. I took him out to the dance floor and said I needed to tell him something, but before I could he kissed me. It was a very simple, chaste kiss, but by the way he acted I think it was his first." Seto smiles at Mokuba. "In that second, he wasn't Jou, just Hikari. I kissed him back."

"You kissed Jou!"

Seto nods. "It was wonderful! He was slightly hesitant at first, but I let him come to me. When he did, it was pure heaven. He may be stupid and loud when he's around his friends, but when you take them out of the picture, he's more philosophical. He's often quieter, speaking less and being soft spoken when he does talk. I realized that I couldn't break up with him. I didn't want to. The act of kissing him didn't disgust me as much as the thought of kissing him had."

"So did you tell Jou who you were?"

"No, but I'm taking him out to dinner tonight before we go to the club. I don't want to hurt him, so I have to be careful about how I tell him. He might have the same reaction to the news that I did," says Seto. He looks at his brother seriously. "Let's play Scrabble."

Mokuba scrunches his eyebrows. "Okay. I'll go get the game board."

"And I'll get us some breakfast. We'll meet in the living room."

The two brothers climb from bed, and the smaller one scurries from the room.

Seto puts on a pair of pants and a shirt before going to the kitchen and making scrambled eggs and toast. He sprinkles cheese on top of the cooked eggs before taking them up on a single plate. He sets the plate of eggs and the saucer of toast onto a tray with a jar of jelly. He puts a fork and butter knife onto the tray before getting two glasses and the pitcher of orange juice, which he also sets on the tray. He carries everything into the living room to see that Mokuba's already set up the game. He sets the tray down so that they'll both have access to its contents.

"Do you want to start, Seto?"

"No. You go first," says Seto sitting down.

Mokuba rifles through the face-up tiles looking for the letters he wants. Starting with the star in the center he puts down P-I-Z-blank-A. "The blank piece is Z. I landed on a double letter score so that's twenty-six points for me. I ordered a vegetarian pizza, and I ate my veggies."

Seto places down his tiles above and below the I. Then he makes an egg and toast sandwich. "I noticed my piece in the F-R-I-D-G-E. What else did you do last night?"

Mokuba writes down Seto's score counting the two double letter bonuses. He puts jam on a piece of toast before pulling out the tiles to spell M-O-V-I-E off Seto's E. "I watches a couple movies."

Seto puts the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth before starting to pull out tiles. Going up the board from the M, he spells M-O-N-S-T-E-R-S-I-N-C.

Mokuba blushes as he finishes his piece of toast. "Can you pour me some juice?" he asks as he pulls out several tiles and starts to lay them out around the C in Monsters, Inc, "I did watch Monsters, Inc and also S-E-C-R-E-T-G-A-R-D-E-N."

Seto pours up two glasses of juice. He starts looking for letters as Mokuba takes a sip of juice. He spells out S-L-E-E-P off the S in Secret Garden. "And that's when you fell asleep."

"Yep," says Mokuba spelling the word quickly with his tiles. He makes an egg and toast sandwich.

Seto spells out W-H-Y.

Mokuba looks at the board intently while he eats.

Seto puts jelly on a piece of toast and starts to eat it.

Mokuba places tiles in between the W of why and the S of Monsters, Inc to spell W-A-I-T-S. "You said you wouldn't be long. You said you would play a game with me when you got home. I was waiting up for you."

"I didn't mean to be so long. I wasn't planning on staying with Jou," says Seto as he spells out I-A-M-S-O-R-R-Y.

"And that was my night," says Mokuba as he starts tallying up the score. "I have eighty and you have one-O-one."

Seto starts with word T-E-A-R. "The first thing I saw was his tear."

"You made him C-R-Y?" asks Mokuba laying down the tears.

"I was L-A-T-E."

"He was L-O-N-E-L-Y."

"Yeah. He stood and then I noticed his T-A-T-T-O-O," says Seto.

"J-O-U?" Mokuba's eyes bulge.

"C-R-Y-S-T-A-L. He has one of the temporary ones," says Seto.

"Where? L-O-C-A-T-E," asks Mokuba.

Seto blushes. "N-A-V-E-L."

"What was it?" asks Mokuba spelling out A-N-D.

"A star burst. It was quite erotic," says Seto, "I found myself filled with L-U-S-T, and I wasn't upset about it."

"S-E-T-O!" exclaims Mokuba.

"S-O-F-T," whispers Seto placing the tiles, "He must use moisturizer before coming to the club.

"S-K-I-N."

"His skin is so soft and he showed me more than his fair share of it."

Mokuba clears the board.

"D-A-N-C-E," says Seto, "We went onto the dance floor."

Mokuba spells out C-L-U-B.

"I didn't even hear the M-U-S-I-C. Jou was the only thing I saw or felt or heard," says Seto.

"I bet you were dancing very C-L-O-S-E," says Mokuba.

"Then he kissed me," says Seto spelling out the word K-I-S-S.

"Was it G-O-O-D?"

"No. It was G-R-E-A-T!"

"S-O?"

"I told him what a B-E-A-U-T-Y he was. He looked so good and felt so right!"

Mokuba smiles. "T-H-E-N?"

"We sat down together and he climbed in my lap," says Seto. He takes a sip of juice and starts to put jelly on another piece of toast. "It was not difficult for him to tell how aroused I was. I've never been that hard in my life. He giggled at me!"

"Oh, no!" exclaims Mokuba.

"But he looked and acted so innocent in that moment. I couldn't be mad at him," says Seto, "so I just went to the bathroom and came back refreshed. I returned to our table with two drinks and we split them both. He was rather inebriated. He started to come on strong, and I took him to the bathroom so he could relieve his erection. I kept my eyes closed and held him."

"You were in a stall with Jou while he was jerking himself? And he allowed that?"

"I was kissing his neck and he was talking dirty and begging me to fuck him. Then he kissed me and said I could open my eyes. I noticed he was still hanging out of his pants so I closed my eyes again. He said he was decent enough for his lover's eyes," says Seto, "and he absolutely refused to fix his clothing so I had to help him."

"So you touched his…" Mokuba blushes. "You touched his penis."

"If I become his lover, I'll do a lot more than just touch it," says Seto blushing.

"Do you want to become his lover?"

Seto smiles and nods. "I think I do. Mokuba, when he kissed me, everything fell in place. I've realized why I keep going to see him. Mokuba, I think I'm in love with him. I'm in love with Jou."

"Oh, dear," says Mokuba, "We need to make a plan then. You can't go around calling your future lover a mutt! We don't want Jou to hate you when he finds out you're Yami so we have to get him to like you as Seto. You remember watching You've Got Mail with me. We need to do something like that."

"I don't even know if he loves me as Yami."

"I know someone who can find out!" exclaims Mokuba, "I'll call Yugi later, but let's finish eating first!"

"How much does Motou know about all this?"


	3. Chapter 3

Love Shack

Love Shack

By

Hideki LaShae

Chapter Three

"He knows that you're Jou's Yami. I told him on Monday while Jou was giving you that day's homework," says Mokuba, "I wanted him to help me convince you to… to do what would be best for you and Jou in a manner that would hopefully not hurt either one of you."

Seto sighs. "Fine. I'll need to set up a meeting with him. He already knows so he should hear about my feelings for his best friend from me. If he sees I'm sincere, perhaps he'll help me seduce Jou."

"Seduce?"

"Into our lives forever," says Seto.

"One kiss changed your entire outlook, didn't it?" Mokuba smiles.

"It wasn't that difficult for him. I never thought he was that innocent… I guess there's a lot about Jou that I don't know, and now I want to learn."

"Great! Jou's a wonderful guy once you get to know him! I'll go give Yugi a call and set up a meeting with him. When do you want it?"

"As soon as possible, Mokuba."

Mokuba nods and runs off to make his phone call. He grabs the kitchen phone and looks at the list of emergency numbers on the side of the refrigerator. He finds the number for 'Imminent World Danger' and dials it.

Kame Game Shop. How can I help you?

"Oh. I'm glad it's you, Yugi!" exclaims Mokuba, "This is Mokuba."

Hey, what's up, Mokuba? You normally don't call unless it's an emergency, comes Yugi's voice on the other line.

"I know, but this is an emergency. I need to talk to you in person. Can you come by the mansion?" asks Mokuba.

Yeah! Of course I can! When?

"Right now? Please!"

Okay. I'm on my way.

"And Yugi… come alone! This has to remain secret!"

It will, Mokuba. I'm on my way. I'll see you soon! Click.

"Thanks," says Mokuba to the empty air. He hangs up the phone, but he lifts it again and quickly dials the internal extension for security. "This is Mokuba. My friend, Yugi from the Kame Game Shop, will be arriving soon. Instruct him to go to the living room and let him in immediately. Don't bother calling anyone before you let him in."

Yes, sir!

Mokuba hangs up the phone again and bustles around the kitchen in the process of making tea and finding the tiny cookies to accompany it. He places everything on a tray when it's ready, and he carries it into the living room.

"I take it he'll be here any minute now."

"Mokuba! I'm here!" calls Yugi, and a moment later he walks into the living room. He bows politely to Seto and Mokuba. "Good morning, Kaiba. What's the emergency?"

"Feel free to sit," says Seto.

"I made some tea," says Mokuba starting to pour up three small bowlfuls.

Yugi sits down and takes the tea bowl when Mokuba passes it to him. "Um… I'm confused. Is this an emergency or a social call?"

"Both," says Mokuba sitting back with his own tea.

"So…"

"Have you spoken to Jou lately?" asks Seto.

Yugi's entire body tenses and he sets his tea bowl down forcefully. "I haven't spoken to him since yesterday. He was really excited about his date."

"I wasn't planning on going last night," says Seto, "I intended to just stand him up. He would eventually understand that I'd broken up with him."

Yugi clenches his hands into fists. "So you brought me here to tell me how you broke Jou's heart?"

"No," says Mokuba, "That's the thing. I pressured Seto to go and break up with Jou in person!"

"But he managed to kiss me before I could say a word," says Seto, "and I couldn't break up with him after that. No matter whom he is when he's not with me, he's still my Hikari when he's by my side. And I love Hikari."

"Huh?" Yugi's eyes widen and he unclenches his fists in his surprise.

"I thought you were the intelligent one in your group!" exclaims Seto before drinking half his tea. He sets the bowl down and stares directly into Yugi's amethyst eyes. "I'm quite surprised that I didn't figure out who Hikari was on my own, but I didn't think my quiet Hikari could be the loud-mouthed Jou. I can now see all the signs of Jou in Hikari. Motou, I'm in love with Jou."

"Oh, shit!"

Mokuba covers his ears and glares at Yugi. "Oh, Gods! I've been scarred for life! I heard Yugi cussing!"

Yugi blushes.

"I need your help, Motou. Jou doesn't know I'm his Yami," says Seto, "and I know I haven't treated him well in the past. He won't take kindly to the news… And I sort of promised him we'd have sex tonight if we could go the entire night without alcohol."

"You've got to get him to drink then! If you have sex now and then he finds out who you are, he'll hate you! He'll feel like you played him, raped him," says Yugi, "You can't have sex with him until he knows who you really are!"

"Why did you even promise him that?" asks Mokuba grabbing one of the cookies and stuffing it in his mouth.

"I needed to get his mind off the idea of me screwing him right then and there!" explains Seto, "He was really horny, and he didn't want to take no as an answer. I didn't want to hurt him by giving him what he was asking for so I told him we could have sex tonight if we stay sober and still want to."

"Then you have to drink tonight or get a headache or something! Just don't get so drunk that you forget not to have sex with him tonight," says Yugi.

"I'm hoping that in the light of day he realizes how fast we're going and decides not to push it," says Seto.

"I love Jou like a brother, and I would never wish to say anything bad about him," says Yugi, "But he's not that bright. You're giving him too much credit, Kaiba. Once he gets an idea in his mind, that's it."

"So you're saying I have to be strong enough for the both of us?" asks Seto.

Yugi nods.

"Fuck!"

"Seto!" Mokuba covers his ears with his hands. "No cussing! What kind of example are you setting for me?"

"I don't know how long I'll be able to refuse his advances. If he wasn't Jou he'd probably be upstairs in my bed right now," says Seto, "If Jou didn't hate me…"

"He might not hate you…"

Seto raises an eyebrow.

"You've always put him into defensive-protective mode, and yes, he attacks you as much as you attack him," says Yugi, "It gives him a thrill. Once he knows that you're his Yami, you two will have a fiery, passionate relationship, but don't worry, he'll still show you Hikari."

Mokuba lowers his hands. "So how do we get Jou to like Seto?"

"Gradually. First step, don't call him a mutt anymore. Call him Jou," says Yugi, "Can you do that?"

"I need to," says Seto.

"Okay, call him Jou all Monday. You can continue to fight with him, but no dog jokes!" orders Yugi, "I'll come by after school on Monday, and we'll talk about what to do next."

"Phase one. Know the target's name," says Seto nodding, "You might want to talk to him today. Find out what he thinks about our date last night."

Yugi nods. "Yeah, and I have work to do at the Game Shop as well so I should get going."

"Okay, I'll show you out," says Mokuba.

Yugi and Mokuba both stand.

"I'm only going to say this once, Motou…"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you, Yugi."

"I'm not doing it for you, Kaiba. I'm helping you win over Jou because I think it will be beneficial to you both," says Yugi, "I happen to want to see my best friend happily in love. You being that way are just a side effect." He walks to the door and stops. He doesn't turn around as he adds, "I'd help you even if Hikari wasn't Jou because you're my friend too, and I want to see you happy also."

Seto smiles slightly.

Yugi walks out of the room with Mokuba.

"My brother's an idiot, isn't he?" asks Mokuba.

"No. He's simply in love," says Yugi, "and people do all sorts of stupid and crazy things when they're in love."

"Have you ever been in love, Yugi?"

"Yes, Mokuba. I have. I'll see you on Monday," says Yugi heading out of the mansion and starting his walk back home. He's just arriving back home when he sees a familiar mop of blond hair heading his way. He waves. "Hi, Jou!"

"Hi, Yugi!" I exclaim as I reach his side, "Do you have some time? I'd love to talk to you!"

"I have some work to do for Grandpa, but you could probably help me with it," says Yugi smiling, "and we could talk while we work!"

"Okay!" I smile back. "But afterwards, you're treating me to a milkshake!"

"Deal," says Yugi holding the door open for me.

I walk in, and Yugi follows.

"Grandpa, we'll be working in the backroom," says Yugi.

"All right."

"Come on, Jou," says Yugi taking my hand and pulling me into the back room, "What's up? How was your date?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." I blush and sit down on the floor beside Yugi.

Yugi passes me a catalog. "We need to put in a new order. You remember how it goes, right?"

"Yeah. I remember."

"What about your date?"

"Yami was late. I sat there alone for fourteen songs," I say, "Then he showed up… while I was wondering if he was even going to come. He apologized, and we went out to dance. He was very touchy-feely last night. It was like he couldn't get enough of touching me."

Yugi smiles. "And?"

"I kissed him. For a minute there, I thought I had totally fucked up! But then he kissed me back. He thinks I'm beautiful!" I giggle giddily. "We were kissing, and he got aroused! He went to the bathroom, and when he came back he brought to drinks. We normally only split one, and we just meant to taste it to see if we like it. We drank them both."

"Jou, you know you don't handle alcohol well," scolds Yugi.

I blush and look embarrassed. "I remember going onto the dance floor… no, he just mentioned dancing… There was a bathroom and I… I released. Then I kissed him… I seem to remember him saying he'll pick me up tonight, but I don't remember when."

"Oh, dear!"

"It'll be fine though. I normally get ready way early so that I can take the bus to the club," I explain, "so I'll just stick to that schedule and wait for him to drop by."

"Will your dad be home?"

"Maybe. He had a date last night, and he wasn't home this morning so it either went really well or horribly bad…"

"Would you introduce the two if your dad's there when Yami comes to pick you up?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

"Well, maybe because you don't know his real name," says Yugi.

"I may not know his name, but I know his heart," I say, "and that's enough for me."

"Okay, Jou… Any other concerns?"

"You know I love him, but I've never told him. He's never said he loves me although I'm pretty sure he does. We share a lot of interests… Duel Monsters and stuff. I just don't know where we go from here," I say quietly, "Will we still be together in the future? Is there any hope for a long relationship?"

"There is hope as long as you want it," says Yugi.

"I was so afraid… as I was sitting there alone last night waiting for him to come. I was afraid that he wasn't coming… that I wouldn't get my chance to kiss him or tell him how I feel, but I'm also afraid to tell him. I know that he must surely love me." I sigh. "He isn't the type of person to just do something for no reason. He wouldn't keep seeing me if he didn't love me, but…"

"But what?"

"But what if our love fades?"

"Don't let it."

"Easy for you to say!"

"Easy for you to do. If you ever feel the spark leaving, then it's time to do something new to fan the flames. Live out a fantasy with him. Role-play. Have fun. Experiment," says Yugi, "Sound easy?"

I smile. "Yeah. Thanks, Yug! Now let's get this order done. I want my milkshake before I have to go get ready for my date!"

"Sure, Jou!"

* * *

"You're going out again tonight?" asks my father as I enter the kitchen to dye my hair.

"Yeah. He's taking me out to dinner first," I say as I start to make up the Kool-aid.

The doorbell rings.

"Are you expecting anyone?" I ask.

"No. I have another date myself," says my father.

The doorbell rings again.

"I'm coming!" I call as I abandon my preparations and start towards the door. I pull the door open and gasp.

There you stand... smiling at me and holding the prettiest bouquet of flowers I've ever seen. "I've always thought blonds were beautiful."

"Huh?" I look at you in confusion.

Your hand reaches up to play with a strand of my golden hair. "So your natural color is blond? How do you change it to red?"

"Kool-aid. It attaches to my hair nicely and washes out easily," I say.

"May I come in now, Hikari?" you ask.

I blush and step back to let you inside.

"I'm sorry for coming so early, but I was anxious to see you," you whisper as you pass me to get inside.

"You're not the only one anxious." I close the door.

"Who was it?" asks my dad coming in from the kitchen. His eyes are immediately drawn to you. "Hello… and you would be?"

"I'm Yami. I came to pick up my darling for our date; although I see I will have to wait for him," you say glancing over at me as you say your final words.

"I'm Jou's father. You can call me Jounouchi-san," says my father, "You'd better hurry and get dressed, Jou. I'll keep Yami company."

"Don't scare him away, dad!" I plead.

"I won't."

"Don't dye your hair tonight," you say.

I nod and head off to finish dressing.

"I'm glad I finally got to meet you, Yami," says Jounouchi, "Let's get these flowers in water."

"Yes, sir," says Seto politely, "Has your son told you much about me?"

"Not much but it's all been good. He's unusually quiet after he's been with you," says Jounouchi leading Seto into the kitchen. He pulls down an ornate vase and starts filling it with water. "And to think, my ex-wife thought this would go to waste here!"

"I'm glad it's not. It's very beautiful. It looks antique. Is it a family heirloom?" asks Seto.

"Yes. It first belonged to my great-grandmother. I didn't want my ex-wife to have it so it was part of our divorce settlement," says Jounouchi as Seto helps him arrange the flowers in the vase, "I thought to maybe give it to Shizuka when she married unless Katsuya would find a lover who would give him lots of flowers."

"He won't be finding a lover other than myself," says Seto, "but I don't mind bringing him flowers every week. I like to make him happy."

"Good." Jounouchi places the filled vase on the table. "Now, honestly… Have you had sex with my son?"

"No, I haven't. We just shared our first kiss last night. I don't believe in rushing a relationship," says Seto, "I care for Jou very much, but I think our relationship needs to be on more solid ground before we have sex."

"Can I have your word that you won't hurt him?"

"I can't promise you that. I can only promise you that I am doing everything within my power not to cause him any undue harm," says Seto.

"That will have to do," says Jounouchi, "but if you ever hurt him on purpose… I'll kill you."

"If I ever hurt him on purpose, I will welcome death," says Seto, "Your son is very special to me. He is the only light I see. That's why I call him Hikari."

"And there he is now," says Jounouchi as I step into the room.

My make-up looks good even though I applied it hastily. I wear the same leather pants as last night. They show off my waist and crystal tattoo nicely, especially in combination with the sleeveless, mid-riff baring button-down shirt I wear.

"Your shoe is untied, Jou."

"Thanks, Dad!"

You quickly kneel down in front of me and tie my laces for me.

I can't help the vision of you sucking me from flashing through my mind, and I blush.

"Now you be gentle with Jou, Yami," says my father catching sight of my blush.

"I will be," you say standing up. "Are you ready to go now? We have dinner reservations."

"I'm ready!" I exclaim.

"Where's your jacket? You might need it when we leave the club," you say.

I grab my jacket from the closet. "Have fun on your date, Dad!"

"You too, Jou."

I let you guide me out of the house and into your car.

You climb into the driver's seat. "It's nice to meet you, Jounouchi Katsuya."

"What gave me away? The hair or my dad?"

"Both."

"So now you know who I really am. Are you disappointed, Yami?"

"The only thing I'm actually disappointed in is that I've been with you, or at least near you, for more than a half hour," you say leaning towards me, "and I haven't been able to kiss you yet."

I close my eyes and pucker my lips.

You press your lips to mine and kiss me slowly. "Do you mind if I still call you my Hikari?"

"I like being called your Hikari." I blush.

You pull away from me and start the engine.

The warning bell reminds us to buckle up, and you slowly drive us away from my house.

"I must confess though…"

"Huh?"

"I feel slightly inadequate having such a wonderful Duelist as a boyfriend," you say, "I'm a decent Duelist myself, but I'm not even in your league."

"Yes… you are, Yami," I say quietly, "Where are we having dinner?"

You smile as you look over at me. "Kokomo."

My eyes widen. "Kokomo? Really? Have you any idea how expensive that place it?"

"Don't worry about it! I have money. My family owns stock in Kaiba Corp," you say as you pull up in front of the restaurant, "You can eat to your heart's content, and I won't need to worry about paying for it. "Don't worry."

"Are you sure?" I ask as the valet opens the door for me.

"Positive."

I climb out of the car, and you join me on the sidewalk a moment later.

You pocket the ticket from the valet and take my hand. You pull me inside.

"Am I even dressed right for this restaurant?" I whimper.

"You look beautiful," you whisper stepping up to the podium, "Reservation for two."

"Name, sir?" asks the man in a formal black suit lifting his pen and looking at them professionally but not exactly pleasantly.

"Yami Yinyang."

The Maitre D's eyes widen slightly as he sees the name in his book. He smiles wide. "Right this way, sir!"

I squeeze your hand as we follow the Maitre D' to a comfortable booth, and we slip in.

"Would you care for anything to start?"

"We need a moment," you say.

"Enjoy your evening." The Maitre D' bows slightly and walks away.

"What was written in that book?"

"Oh, just ten or twelve Yen signs. I mentioned that I'm a large tipper when I called in the reservation, and that I'm a bit eccentric," you say, "You won't get any more looks about your clothes now."

I rest my head on your shoulder. "Thank you."

You wrap one arm around my waist, and your other hand grabs a small but thick menu from the center of the table. You open it one-handed. "Would you like wine with dinner?"

"I've never drunk wine before. I don't know if I like it," I say blushing.

"Why don't we talk to the house wine specialist and set up out menu with him?" you ask, "He should be able to help us pick a wine you will enjoy."

"Okay."

You hold up your hand and nod your head.

A waitress in a simple black dress with a white sash steps up to our table. "Are you ready to order?"

"Not yet. We would like to speak to the house sommelier if he's available," you say.

"I will send him over." The waitress smiles before walking away.

"You're very beautiful tonight, Hikari. Thank you for agreeing to come to dinner with me," you say pulling me over to your side.

A man steps up to our table. "Good evening. I am the house sommelier. Can I help you select a wine to go with your meal?"

"We were hoping you could help us with everything actually," you say, "My companion has never tasted wine before, and I want him to enjoy our meal to its fullest."

"I see," says the sommelier looking towards me, "and what sorts of drinks do you normally enjoy?"

"Juice, soda, plain water sometimes," I say.

"I believe you would probably prefer a sweet wine versus a dry wine, and we have an excellent selection to offer," says the sommelier, "What do you think you might want to eat this evening?"

I grab your knee under the cover of our table.

"We were thinking a full meal, appetizer, dessert," you say, "You don't have any food allergies, do you, Hikari?"

"Not that I know about."

"Do you like chicken?" asks the sommelier, "We have a wonderful herb chicken that we just added to the menu."

"That sounds nice," I say smiling, "Maybe with something chocolate for dessert. I love chocolate!"

"I think you would enjoy the chocolate raspberry torte. It follows the chicken well," says the sommelier, "and I think maybe you should start with a butternut squash soup or a salad. It would go very well with the Chateau Blanc that I would suggest for you."

"I'm thinking both would sound nice," I say.

"Shall I call the waitress over?"

You nod.

The sommelier catches the eye of our waitress, and she hurries over. He speaks to her for a moment, ordering the wines to be served with each course of dinner.

You speak to the waitress next, ordering our meal and asking for both the soup and the salad for our appetizer.

The waitress nods and walks away with the sommelier.

"Hikari, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, of course! Ask me anything!"

"What's your favorite dragon?"

"Didn't I tell you last night? The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is my favorite." I blush.

"But don't you have a Red-Eyes Black Dragon in your deck?" you ask. You look at me with raised eyebrows and curious, confused eyes.

"I do have a Red-Eyes, and I do love it very much. I know it should be my favorite, but you remind me of the Blue-Eyes. Because of you, that dragon is my favorite," I say, "Does that bother you?"

"No. That pleases me," you say smiling, "One more question… What do you think of the owner of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards? Kaiba Seto?"

"He's an ass!" I growl. "And I don't want to talk about him! Tonight is about us. Let's leave him out of it!"

"Sore subject I see."

"I go to school with him. He's always calling me a dog and trying to instigate fights with me. He always disses me about my dueling skills," I say, "He does everything he can to make me feel like shit!"

"I'm sorry." You kiss me quickly.

"What are you apologizing for? It's not like you said all those horrible things!"

"I'm sorry for bringing it up. You don't need to be thinking about something that causes you pain," you say, "Especially not tonight."

Is it too early to say I love you?

You look at me curiously. "What?"

Did I just say that out loud? I return your curious look. "What, what?"

"You just looked very intense there for a moment, like you wanted to say something," you say.

Thank gods! I smile. "I was just thinking about how much I enjoy spending time with you, Yami."

"I also enjoy spending our time together, Hikari," you say smiling at me before kissing me again, "You are very special to me."

"Yami, I…"

"Your wine, sirs," says our waitress appearing out of nowhere with a wine bottle and ice bucket.

Love you, finishes my mind as my voice falls to the floor. I watch you smell the cork and swirl a little wine in your glass before taking a sip. You pass the glass to me so I can sip it.

"Do you like it?"

"It's different. I don't know yet," I say honestly.

You nod to the waitress. "Thank you."  
The waitress pours up glasses for the both of us and leaves us the bottle.

I take another tentative sip of my wine. "It's interesting. I'll give it that."

You smile at me. "You're adorable!"

I blush.

"Do you think I could challenge you to a duel sometime?"

"Of course you know I'll say yes!" I smile happily. "I would love to duel against you sometime! I'll see for myself what league you're in!"

"You'd go easy on me though, wouldn't you?" you ask.

"Only if you want me to!"

"I'll challenge you to a duel sometime soon then," you say, "I'm going to try to get a few more cards for my deck before I go against a duelist of your caliber." You smile sweetly.

Just one look at your smile, and my heart melts into a puddle of goo at our feet. I lean into you and pucker my lips invitingly.

You catch my lips with yours and don't release my mouth for several long moments. You gaze into my eyes as you pull away slightly. "Bon appetit!"

"Huh?"

"The soup's here," you whisper.

I blush as I realize our waitress must have witnessed us making out, so I turn my attention to the bowl in front of me. I see you lifting a spoon to start on your own food.

We eat in companionable silence for a moment.

"So which dragon is your favorite, Yami?"

You still for a moment with a spoonful of soup halfway to your lips. You lower the spoon back to your bowl. "My favorite dragon is the Blue-Eyes, but you remind me of the Red-Eyes, and I care for you deeply. The Red-Eyes is fast making an attempt at the top spot in my heart."

"So is there a little Blue-Eyes in your life?"

"My brother. What would your sister be if she were a Duel Monster?"

"I don't know. I've got to think about that one," I say, "Maybe Soul of Purity and Light… Maybe Curse of Dragon… She'd kill me if I said Kuriboh!"

You laugh. "She sounds very special!"

"Oh, she is!"

"Where is she now?"

"She lives with our mother in Hokkaido," I say, "We send each other at least one letter a month."

"What about email?" you ask, "Do you talk that way much?"

"Email!" I scoff. "I'm not very good at all that technical stuff. I must sound pretty stupid to you. I can figure out a duel disc, but I keep crashing computers when I try to get on one of them!"

"You've never owned a computer, have you?" you ask as you watch me finish my soup.

I blush and shake my head.

"Then it isn't stupid." Your hand finds my face and strokes my cheek gently. "Ignorance and idiocy can be learned just as easy as brilliance. It's not stupid to not know something. It's only stupid to not try to correct the problem."

I hang my head. "I guess that makes sense."

You smile at me and tilt my chin up. "I could try to teach you how to use a computer."

"Really?"

"I would love to. Maybe we could get together on Tuesday evening. I could bring my laptop and we could have dinner," you say.

"Don't you normally work on weekday afternoons?"

"I do, but I'd rather be with you than working any day!"

"Are you sure?" I ask looking at you hopefully.

You kiss me quickly. "We'll be able to work at your house on Tuesday, won't we? How does six o'clock sound?"

"We'd have to have dinner with my father…"

"That's fine. He seems nice."

I sigh happily. I love you.

"You too."

I blush. "What?"

"I just said you're nice!" You chuckle. "What were you thinking about? Were you thinking something naughty?"

My blush darkens, and I stammer, "N-n-no!"

You laugh. "Okay. I believe you. Would you like the rest of my soup?"

"Thanks." I take your bowl. "I normally eat a lot. I have a high metabolism, and I burn through calories at an accelerated rate. It's sometimes hard to get enough to eat at restaurants without spending a fortune I don't have."

"You don't need to worry about that as long as you're out with me," you say, "I don't eat much. I have a small fortune so I could easily afford all the food you need, but since I also have a small stomach, I don't eat all my food. You can share my meal with me, and if you're still hungry after dessert, we can order more."

"You really like me, don't you?"

"Yes."

I blush and quickly finish your soup.

"Don't you like me?"

It's too early to say I love you even though I do. "I do like you. I like you so much, Yami. You couldn't even imagine how deep my feelings for you run."

"I want you to tell me sometime, Hikari, but not tonight. I don't think either of us are ready for that just yet," you whisper, and for a moment it looks like you might continue to speak, but then you turn away and gulp the rest of your wine.

I try to hide my blush behind my wine glass.


	4. Chapter 4

Love Shack

Love Shack

By

Hideki LaShae

Chapter Four

"Here's your milkshake, Jou," says Yugi passing me the glass. He sits down beside me with his own milkshake.

I lean against Yugi and sip my treat in silence.

Yugi wraps his arm around my shoulders. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

"How did your date with Yami go?" asks Yugi.

"I love him so much."

"Okay, spill. What happened?"

"He showed up while I was still getting dressed. He says he thinks blonds are beautiful," I say, "He knows my real name now."

Yugi smiles. "And how did he take that news?"

"He was a little shocked. I think it might bother him a bit that I'm such a good duelist," I say sipping my shake, "And he was especially surprised when I told him that the Blue-Eyes is my favorite dragon even though I have a Red-Eyes." I notice the frown on Yugi's face. "What's wrong?"

"What bothers Yami about your dueling?" asks Yugi.

"Well… He said he isn't in my league. Why?"

Yugi shakes his head. "Oh, it's nothing. I just thought… that might be the end."

"Not with Yami." I smile.

"Now… about dragons?" Yugi smiles sweetly, and I'm reminded of you.

"Have I told you about his tattoo?"

"No!"

"He has a Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes yin-yang tattoo on his arm. He reminds me of the powerful Blue-Eyes. That's why it's my favorite dragon. He says I'm his Red-Eyes! He didn't treat me any differently once he found out who I am."

"I'm glad, Jou."

"We went to Kokomo for dinner! I was a bit worried about the cost, but he said it was fine. Apparently his family own stock in Kaiba Corp."

Yugi giggles.

"What?"

"Nothing! I was just thinking about how nice the food must have been!"

"Everything there was so good! And our waitress didn't even say a word about us making out between courses!"

"Jou!"

"Hey, we were only kissing! He shared his meal with me, plus I had my own, and we had wine with it. I've never had wine before, but the food and wine combinations were absolutely fabulous! So yummy!" I finish my milkshake and place the glass on the table.

Yugi passes me his half-finished glass. "Here, Jou. I don't want to get brain-freeze."

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Drink that and finish telling me about your date."

I cuddle closer to Yugi. "After dinner, we went to the club. We were dancing all night long. We only stopped for short bathroom breaks and one soda. I was tipsy enough after the wine so we opted not to drink at the club. Then he drove me home, gave me a good night kiss at my doorstep, and asked me to dress 'cute' on Tuesday."

"Tuesday? What's happening Tuesday?"

"He's going to have dinner at my house and try to teach me how to operate a computer without crashing it," I say.

"Sanada-sensei would love it if he could do that!"

"Hey! They were able to repair one of those computers!" I exclaim.

"One out of fifteen isn't good odds, Jou."

I blush.

"So… it's really moving forward, isn't it?" asks Yugi, "Your relationship with Yami. This will be the second time you've met outside of the club. Next thing you know, we'll be hearing wedding bells!"

"Oh, gimme a break!" I groan, "Honestly, Yug! It's not that serious…" My voice trails off as I hear a familiar chiming echoing from down the street. "Yet…"

Yugi giggles. "Like I said! Wedding bells! There's a wedding going on right now at the church."

"You were just splitting a gut waiting for an excuse to use that line, weren't you?"

"Sorry!"

"Yeah, it's cool. What am I going to wear?"

"Don't worry! I'll help you find something 'cute' to wear!" Yugi smirks. "I'll come over after school on Tuesday, and we'll pick it out. Okay?"

"Deal! Thanks for the milkshake. I'm going to go home and be happy."

"Well don't be too happy. We have school tomorrow."

"I'm glad I can talk to you about this now, Yug! Thanks for understanding!" I hug Yugi before heading out.

* * *

I run up the school steps. I can't believe I'm late! Why the hell didn't my alarm clock go off? I know I set it last night! I swing the door open and slam right into a warm body. I fall down on top of all that warmth, and a pair of strong arms wrap around me for a moment before roughly shoving me off.

"What the hell are you doing, m… Jou!" exclaims Kaiba.

"Kaiba!" I look up at him with a glare.

Kaiba stands up and brushes the dirt from his uniform. "You need to watch where you're going, Jou! What are you in such a hurry for anyway? Lunch isn't for another hour!"

"My alarm clock didn't go off, and I'm running late. Why the hell aren't you in class, Kaiba?" I ask sitting up.

"I have a business meeting. Don't worry, Jou," says Kaiba ruffling my hair like a dog's, "I'll be back after lunch and I'll bring you a treat."

I slap Kaiba's hand away. "Go fuck yourself, moneybags!"

Kaiba's eyes glimmer with pain for a fraction of a second before he asks, "Are you hurt, Jou? That was an intense tumble you caused."

"I'm fine!" I exclaim pushing myself to my feet quickly.

"You'd better get to class now. Don't run though, okay? We don't need you to get hurt," says Kaiba.

"Class? Oh, shit!" I turn away from Kaiba and run towards our classroom. I don't see Kaiba rubbing a sore spot on his back before leaving as well. I burst into the classroom.

Haruki-sensei glares at me. "Well, if it isn't Jounouchi Katsuya… late, as usual. I hope you don't have plans after school because you'll be here, cleaning."

"Yes, Sensei…"

"Now take your seat," says Haruki-sensei.

I walk over to my seat and get out my books to start taking notes. I pay rapt attention for all of five minutes before my stomach rumbles.

Haruki-sensei glares at me. Apparently she heard that.

I try to focus all through class and answer questions, even though I get most of the answers wrong.

Lunch doesn't come nearly fast enough for my stomach.

Yugi, Honda, Anzu, and Bakura gather around me with their lunches as I look through my bag for my bento.

"So why were you so late this morning, Jou?" asks Honda, "You're normally here early on Mondays. You usually save being late until Friday."

"I set my alarm last night, but it didn't go off this morning," I say as I realize my lunch isn't in my bag, "and to top it all off, I left my lunch on the kitchen counter!" I let my head fall to my desk with a loud thump.

"Jou, do you want half my lunch?" asks Anzu, "I'm on a diet, and my mother keeps packing too much."

I raise my head with a grin, and my stomach growls. "Really?"

Anzu removes one of her rice balls and sets her lunch box in front of me. "Go ahead and eat it, Jou. You need all that weight more than I do!"

"Thanks, Anzu! You're the best!" I exclaim lifting the other rice ball and starting to eat it. This red bean paste tastes weird. Oh, well. Maybe it's just a different brand than I'm used to.

"You can have half my sandwich too, Jou," says Bakura adding half of a chicken salad sandwich to the box, "I'm not very hungry anyway."

"And we can share my tea," says Yugi pouring up some of the cool, lightly green liquid from his thermos, "You know I never drink it all anyway."

"Thanks, guys! I owe you all big time!" I exclaim taking the cup Yugi's offering and drinking a little of it.

Anzu, Bakura, and Yugi send meaningful looks at Honda.

"You can have my vegetables and dip," says Honda.

"Thanks, bud! But you're eating the celery. These veggies are probably the only healthy thing your mom managed to get into your lunch!" I exclaim taking the little bag of vegetables and passing the three celery sticks back to Honda.

Honda smiles. "Man, you must really hate celery to not eat it when you're starving!"

I simply smile back, and we all talk while we eat. I pat my fuller stomach after finishing the last of the tea. "Thanks for sharing, guys. You are the best friends I could ever hope for!"

"You're welcome, Jou," says Bakura, "We couldn't let you starve. It just wouldn't be nice."

A paper bag drops onto my desk.

"Huh?" I look up into Kaiba's blue eyes. "Kaiba! What the hell?"

"I promised you a treat, didn't I?" asks Kaiba. "It's a chocolate éclair."

"Oh, yeah? What kind of poison did you add?" I ask.

"I didn't…"

I hear the bag crinkling and I turn to see Yugi pulling the sealed plastic container from the bag. I lick my lips.

"Oh, these look expensive!" exclaims Yugi breaking the sticker seal and opening the container. He makes a show of inhaling deeply.

I can smell the chocolate… dark, semi-sweet, succulent… It's the type of chocolate that melts in your mouth.

"Do you mind if I have a bite, Jou?" asks Yugi, "There are two éclairs here."

"If you want to test it for poison, go ahead," I say.

Yugi takes a bite and his eyes widen. "This is delicious… beyond delicious!"

I quickly grab the whole éclair and start to devour it. "Oh, gods! This is heaven! You guys all have to try this!"

Seto smiles. Yeah, I think I can quit calling him Kaiba now. Right this second, he's acting more like the Seto his little brother swears is in there somewhere. Yeah, Seto it is…

"Anzu?" asks Yugi holding the éclair towards her.

"Oh, I shouldn't…"

"One bite won't kill your diet," says Yugi smiling sweetly.

Anzu takes the éclair and takes a small bite. Her eyes roll back, and she passes it to Bakura quickly. "I could eat four or five hundred of those!"

"So how did your meeting go, Kaiba?" asks Yugi.

"It could have been better," says Seto, "The man I was meeting brought his new girlfriend. I'm still trying to decide if I ant to tell his wife."

"Ouch!" exclaims Yugi.

"If you don't need him, tell her," I say in between bites.

Bakura takes a bite of the éclair. He passes it to Honda with a contemplative look on his face. "Where did you get this? It tastes familiar!"

"A Paris," says Seto.

"Damn! This is good," says Honda placing the half eaten éclair into the plastic container. "If I was hungrier, I could eat a few of those."

"I'm going to walk away before I'm tempted to do something crazy like kiss Jou," says Anzu before heading back to her desk.

"I think the patisserie from A Paris might have worked at a shop in London that I used to frequent," says Bakura, "I gained twenty pounds from that shop one summer, but it was so good!"

"I believe he did work in London," says Seto.

I finish my éclair and lift the remnants of the second. I close my eyes as I take a bite.

"Aren't you going to offer Kaiba a bite?" asks Yugi, "After all, he was nice enough to bring them back from his meeting."

"If he wanted one, he should have brought himself one!" I exclaim.

"Well, there were two in there," says Bakura, "so maybe he did."

I open my eyes and look at Seto guiltily. "Did you want some?"

"Yes," says Seto, "Just a little." He grabs my hand to hold the éclair still, and he leans down to take a bite of the pastry as I hold it. He licks his lips and releases me. "Delicious."

I can't help but blush and turn away from Seto.

Yugi smiles at me and starts chatting Duel Monsters with Seto while I finish off the second éclair.

The teacher arrives moments later, and everyone takes their seat so class can begin.

I make it halfway through the next class before my guts start growling. I flush with embarrassment and raise my hand.

"Yes, Jounouchi?"

"Sensei, can I have the hall pass to go to the bathroom?"

"Fine," says the teacher.

I stand and practically run out of the room, grabbing the plastic pass as I go. I barely make it to the bathroom and sit down before my body purges itself. "Damn Kaiba probably put Ex-lax into the éclair. See if I ever trust him again!"

I don't return to the class that period or the next. Why did I even bother to show up today? I stumble into the classroom twenty minutes before school ends.

"Jounouchi, are you all right?"

"No. I just came to get my books. I'm going home," I say.

"Sensei, I don't think…"

"I agree, Motou. Jounouchi, I want you to go to the nurse's office and stay there until school is out," says the teacher, "Motou will walk you home after class."

I nod and instantly regret it. "Grab my books, bud!"

"Sure, Jou," says Yugi to my retreating back as I run out of the room again. I head back to the bathroom and lock myself in a stall again.

Some time later, the door opens. "Jou, are you in here?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be waiting outside the door when you're ready to go home," says Yugi.

"Okay. I'll be out soon," I say.

The door closes.

I sigh as I try to clean myself as best as I can and pull up my pants. I leave my stall and thoroughly wash my hands and face. One look in the mirror tells me I look like shit. I dry my hands and head out. "Let's go, Yugi. I want to go home so I can be sick in comfort."

"Okay," says Yugi wrapping an arm around my waist, "Lead the way, Kaiba."

I turn my shocked gaze to the taller boy who I can't believe I didn't see standing across the hall from me holding my books.

"My limo's right out this door," says Seto, "Come on, Jou, Yugi. I'll drop you off."

"What?" I snap, "Like I would really get in a moving vehicle with you! You just want to see how effective your damn little food poisoning trick worked out!"

Seto's eyes widen.

"Yeah! I know you spiked those éclairs with something! What was it? Ex-lax? Rat poisoning?" I glare at Seto.

"I swear, Jou… I didn't…"

"Don't! Don't call me Jou! You'll never earn the right to address me so informally!" I shout, "My name is Jounouchi!" My guts growl again.

Seto clenches his teeth and seethes with anger. He shoves my books into Yugi's arms.

"Kaiba…"

"You damn mutt! I don't see why I even bother, but I agreed to give you a ride home _'so you could be sick in comfort'_ and now I intend to do it!" Seto glares at me and catches me off guard with a quick uppercut into my stomach.

Ew! Gross. I just soiled myself.

Seto quickly pulls me into his arms and lifts me as easily as if I was a woman. Despite his obvious anger at me, he holds me gently as he carries me out of the school and puts me in the back of his limo.

Yugi slides into the limo beside me, and Seto sits down on my other side.

"I'm sorry that I hit you, but I didn't poison you," says Seto as the limo starts to move.

I glare at Seto.

"Really, Jou… Jounouchi, I didn't poison the food," says Seto, "and I am sorry about hitting you."

"Just take me home, kidnapper!"

"Jou! That was uncalled for!" exclaims Yugi, "You know it's ten times faster to get to your place by car than walking. And I wasn't sure if you could walk all the way without stopping in every bathroom on the way so when Kaiba offered us a ride I thought it was the best idea in the world! The least you could do is be grateful!"

The limo pulls to a stop outside my home.

I grit my teeth and say a hasty "Thank you" as I rush to get out of the limo and into my house.

"I'll just go drop off his books and then we can talk," says Yugi.

"Fine," says Seto.

Yugi gets out of the limo and heads into the house to place my books on the kitchen table. "Jou, I left your books in the kitchen. I'll call you later tonight!"

"Thanks!" I call out from the bathroom.

Yugi heads back out to the limo and sits down beside Seto. "And you had been doing so well until he got sick."

"I apologized for hitting him."

"I meant calling him Jou," says Yugi, "What did you do to him this morning? He was totally freaked out when he came into class this morning."

"I tried to be nice to him," says Seto, "And I called him Jou…" He then proceeds to give Yugi a play by play of his first meeting with Jou. "I was trying to be nice although in retrospect I can see where he might think I was treating him like a dog."

"You need to work on that for tomorrow. Be nice to him. Call him by his name, and try not to treat him like a dog," says Yugi.

"That's much harder than it sounds," says Seto, "He acts so much like a clumsy puppy."

"Yeah, he is really clumsy around you," says Yugi nibbling on his lower lip, "but he isn't that clumsy when you're not there for him to run into. Is Hikari clumsy? Does he make you think of puppies?"

"No. Hikari is very poised and graceful. He always makes me think of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon in flight," says Seto.

"There's a deeper meaning to all this that we can't see right now. I'm going to try to find out why Jou's so clumsy around you, and you… you need to look at him and see Hikari. See the Red-Eyes and maybe you won't call him a dog anymore," says Yugi.

"Do you think he hates me now?" asks Seto quickly.

"Jou doesn't hate," says Yugi honestly, "and before you know it, he'll love Seto as much as he loves Yami."

Seto smiles. "He loves Yami?"

"You know he does, but we want him to love you, don't we?"

"I do."

"Okay… now about this date on Tuesday. What do you consider cute clothing?" asks Yugi smiling, "I have to help Jou pick out his outfit tomorrow after school."

Seto smirks. "I'm glad you asked. I bought an outfit I want to see him in, but Jou wouldn't wear it if I asked. Hikari might, but they'd do it if you suggested it."

Yugi raises an eyebrow. "What's so weird about this outfit?"

"It's just not his normal style. The only time I've seen him wear anything like it is as Hikari, and I don't think I've ever seen him in the color," says Seto, "I'll show it to you when we get to the mansion."

"Okay… What color is it?"

"Green and white," says Seto.

The limo pulls to a stop in front of the Kaiba mansion, and Seto's butler opens the car door for them to step out.

Seto guides Yugi inside and up to a spacious bedroom.

"Is this your room?" asks Yugi looking around in awe.

"Yes," says Seto starting to pull off his uniform jacket as he walks through an open door, "Don't break anything."

"He said not to break anything. He never said I couldn't snoop around!" giggles Yugi with a mischievous smile. His first stop is to peek through the heavy curtains at the garden outside, then rifling through the desk drawers, crawling under the bed, perusing the bookcases, and poking around in the dresser drawers. He manages all this in a matter of seconds.

Seto merely raises an eyebrow at Yugi when he steps out of his closet in a pair of slacks and white turtleneck to find the shorter boy bouncing on his bed. "So should I be getting you a trampoline for your next birthday?"

"No thanks! Those things are dangerous!" exclaims Yugi falling onto his back on the bed, "Your bed is so comfortable! I could fall asleep here…"

"I hope Jou agrees with that statement," says Seto, "Will you get off my bed now?"

Yugi sits up blushing and crawls off the bed. "Sorry."

"Forget it, but the next time you decide to jump on my bed, make sure Jou's jumping on it with you," says Seto.

"Deal!" exclaims Yugi.

"So this is the outfit I got for Jou," says Seto holding up the white jeans and green button-down shirt for Yugi to see.

Yugi blinks in surprise.

Seto sighs. "What is it?"

"I didn't know you could even get white jeans for men," says Yugi.

"Yes, I had them custom made for him. I think he'd look beautiful in white," says Seto blushing, "and the green should make his eyes more vibrant… not like they really need the help."

Yugi smiles. "He will look cute in that. I'll have him try it on."

"Thank you, Yugi," says Seto. He sets the clothes down on the edge of his bed.

"Is there something bothering you, Kaiba?" asks Yugi.

"I wish Hikari was here," says Seto, "I didn't miss him as much during the week before I found out who he really is and admitted my feelings for him to myself. I'm in love with him. Since admitting that, I want him near me always… How long will it be before I don't have to let him go?"

"One step at a time, Seto," says Yugi, "One step at a time."

"I know. We need to get him to forgive me before we can get him to love me," says Seto, "What would be an appropriate apology gift?"

"Not food."

* * *

"Jou. I forget the names of all your friends," says my father stepping into the bathroom as I'm climbing from the tub, "Do you know a girl named Mazaki?"

"Dad! That's Anzu's family name!"

"Well why didn't she just say Anzu?" asks my father, "She's on the phone."

"Thanks." I wrap a towel around my waist and pull a robe on before heading out to the phone. I lift it to my ear. "Jou here. Hey, Anzu!"

Jou, I am so, so sorry! comes Anzu's voice over the phone.

"Sorry? You don't need to be sorry about calling me," I say, "I like hearing from my friends."

That's not why I'm apologizing, Jou. My mom told me what she did to the rice ball I gave you. It seems she was trying to help me control my eating by giving me food that she put Ex-lax in, but only half my food. I've only been eating half, so I never noticed it, says Anzu, Hold on. I'm putting her on. Mom!

An older woman's voice comes onto the phone. Oh, Jou-san. I am so sorry. I never meant for you to get sick. It never occurred to me that Anzu would share her food with her friends. I figured she would eat what she was given… I'm so sorry.

"So you're saying you put something in the rice which has made me sick?" I ask, "It was the rice?"

Yes. I'm sorry.

"What kind of mother are you? You ere trying to make your own daughter sick! Put Anzu back on the phone!" I exclaim.

Anzu…

Jou? What did you say to her? She's turning green! whispers Anzu when she gets the phone back.

"Well, I accused her of trying to hurt you on purpose," I say sheepishly. I sigh. "So it was the rice that made me sick? Not the éclairs?"

Éclairs? The ones Kaiba brought? No, they were fine. Remember everyone had a bite? replies Anzu, They were rich and delicious and probably had more calories than everything else I've eaten today, but there was nothing wrong with them!

"Dammit!"

Jou? What's wrong?

"I screamed at Kaiba and accused him of poisoning the éclairs," I say, "Anzu, what do you think I should do to apologize. This calls for more than just 'I'm sorry'."

Can I come over?

"As long as you're going to help me!"

Be there soon!

I'd better go get dressed.

* * *

I head into the classroom a good fifteen minutes early, but I don't see Seto sitting inside. I spin around quickly and run right into a warm chest with enough force to send us both sprawling upon the floor. I hear a pain-filled groan as the man I'm laying on hits the floor.

Two strong arms wrap around me, and a familiar voice speaks into my ear, "You seem to be rather fond of getting me into this position, Jounouchi."

I gasp as I raise my head to look into a pair of familiar, cerulean eyes. "Kaiba! I was just looking for you!"

"I can see that," says Seto smiling.

His breath tickles my ear and sends jolts of electricity racing down my sides.

"Are you hurt? Can you move?" asks Seto rubbing his hands across my back and up into my hair.

I blush and scramble to get off Seto. "I'm fine!" I squeak, "You?"

"I'm fine also," says Seto sitting up with a slight wince.

"Are you sure? I thought I heard you groan when we landed."

"It's just bruised pride."

"Bruised pride? So which is it? Dick or tail bone?" I smirk.

"Tail bone," says Seto honestly as he stands up, "I was actually looking for you too. I wanted to apologize again for yesterday." He pulls an envelope from inside his jacket pocket and holds it out towards me. "It's not food this time."

I simply stare at the envelope.

"Will you please at least see what it is before you decide to not accept my apology?"

My eyes widen at the forbidden word 'please' in your statement, and I take the envelope from you. I open it and pull out two tickets to the upcoming Duel Monsters Expo. "Oh, wow!"

"So do you forgive me?" asks Seto, "Jou… Jounouchi?"

"Yeah. I forgave you last night. That's why I wanted to see you," I say pulling a bento from my bag, "and to give you this. Anzu helped me make it so it's not poisoned or anything."

Seto takes the bento from my hands. "You made lunch for me?"

"Yes. As a way to say that I'm sorry," I say hanging my head, "I know you didn't poison the éclairs. Anzu told me that her mom had slipped the Ex-lax into the rice balls. I'm sorry for accusing you, Kaiba."

"I forgive you. Thank you for lunch, Jounouchi," says Seto.

"You can call me Jou if you want."

"Does that mean you forgive me, Jou?"

I smile. "Yeah, Kaiba. I do, but I can't accept these tickets!"

"Why not?"

"Because these tickets are expensive and you got them to apologize for something you didn't need to apologize for! I was sick and I was being such a jerk blaming it on you!" I exclaim, "So just take them and go with Mokuba!"

"Mokuba's already planned a camp out with some of his friends for that weekend. If you won't accept them both, Jou, will you at least accept one and accompany me to the Expo?" asks Seto, "Please?" He smiles.

Oh, Gods! He looks like you when he smiles. Forgive me, Yami. I can't say no to that smile. "Okay, I'll go with you, Kaiba, but you have to pick me up!"

"Gladly!" exclaims Seto brushing against my side as he passes me, "By the way, you can call me… Seto."

"S… Seto?" I shriek.

"Can you hang onto those tickets?"

"Sure."

Seto sits down at his desk and pulls out his book. He flips it open. "I'll be looking forward to going to the Expo with you."

My heart flutters, and I honestly say, "Me too."

Seto glances at me as I move to my desk and sit down.

* * *

"What am I going to wear, Yugi?" I whine as I fling clothes around my room.

Yugi yelps.

I look around and see Yugi crawling out of a pile of clothes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," says Yugi holding up a green shirt and white jeans, "Try this outfit on!"

"Where did that come from?"

"I don't know. You're the one who threw it at me!" exclaims Yugi.

"I don't remember ever buying that."

"Just try it on! I want to see if it looks 'cute' on you!" orders Yugi.

I start stripping off my school uniform, and Yugi turns around to give me a little privacy. I take the clothes and slip them on. "Well, they fit nice."

Yugi turns to look at me, and he blushes. "Wear that!"

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't know," I say turning and flexing. I see a flash of blue eyes staring at me, and I grab the cream colored shirt from the floor. I hold up the T-shirt with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon on it and show it to Yugi. "What about this instead?"

Yugi smirks. "Not instead. Put that on beneath the green shirt and only button the bottom three buttons of the green shirt, and… It will be perfect! So cute! Wear both shirts with those pants!"

"You're sure?"

"I'm positive!"

"Okay, I will! Oh, I can't wait for tonight!"

"I can't wait for tomorrow so you can tell me how it goes!" exclaims Yugi, "I'm so happy for you!"

"I wonder if he's this stressed about what to wear," I say taking off the clothes and setting them aside.

Yugi looks around my room gauging the size of the piles. "I'd say he had twice as much trouble deciding. After all, he has to impress you and your father!"

"Anybody would impress my father!"

"He doesn't know that."

"No. I guess not," I say, "Oh, hey, are you going to the DM Expo?"

"Yeah. Grandpa and I are going. We got in on a business price, only two people, otherwise I'd ask you to come. Sorry…"

"Don't apologize! Seto got me two tickets to apologize for hitting me," I say, "but I didn't feel right accepting them. So he invited me to go with him. Maybe we'll see you there!"

Yugi smiles. "Maybe!"  
"I hear it's going to be awesome!" I exclaim.

"Of course it is! It's Duel Monsters!"

Yugi and I burst out laughing.

"I can't wait! It will be so much fun!"

"Even though you're going with Seto?"

"If he gets too boring, I can ditch him and come find you!"

"Jou… that wouldn't be nice."

I sigh. "Fine! I'll drag him with me to come find you!"

"Better."


	5. Chapter 5

Love Shack

Love Shack

By

Hideki LaShae

Chapter Five

"Dad? Can you set the table? He's going to be here any minute and I still need to change!" I exclaim as I put the casserole dish on the center of the table beside the basket of fresh rolls and bowl of salad.

"You're putting so much work into this dinner, and you can't even set the table yourself?" asks my dad coming into the doorway folding his newspaper.

"Dad!" I whine, "Everything's all set out on the counter. It just needs to come in here!"

"Fine, I suppose," says my father moping, "Go change and wash your face."

"Thanks!" I exclaim pulling off my apron as I run towards my room. I'm half undressed by the time I close my bedroom door. I finish undressing and quickly pull on the white jeans, Blue-Eyes t-shirt, and green button down shirt. I head into the bathroom and wash the seasonings from my face and brush my hair quickly. I come out just in time to hear the doorbell ring. I head towards the door.

My father beats me to it.

"Good evening, Jounouchi-san," you say, "I brought a dessert and a bottle of wine, non-alcoholic of course. Jou and I are too young to drink."

"Thank you," says my father, "Jou didn't have time to make a dessert. He spent too much time making origami swans out of the napkins!"

"Dad!" I blush deep red.

"Origami napkins?" you ask raising an eyebrow.

I look into your laughing blue eyes. Uh, wait. Blue? "Yeah. I know all sorts of impractical skills like that! Come on. We'll put the dessert in the kitchen and get the wine glasses."

You follow me into the kitchen.

"I didn't know your eyes were blue," I say as I pull out the stepladder so I can reach the very top shelf where the six wine glasses are stored.

"And I hadn't known your hair was blond, so now we're even, Hikari. We know more about each other now," you say, "and I would like to learn more about you. We just need to take this slow now. One step at a time."

I climb up on the stepladder and pull out three un-chipped glasses, which you thankfully take from me before I get down. My heart clenches as I look at you. "Are you looking for a long relationship?"

Your eyes widen, and your jaw drops. "Yes. Aren't you? I mean… we've had a pretty long relationship already. I do want it to be longer and deeper. Is that not what you want?"

I throw my arms around your neck. "You've just made me very happy! I do want this relationship to last as long as it can."

"You look very cute tonight," you say, "I love this outfit on you."

I blush. "Thank you. My friend helped me pick it out. I honestly don't even remember buying it."

You smile. "It looks very good on you."

"Well, the dining room is this way," I say taking the glasses from your hands and leading you through a doorway into a dining room barely big enough for the four-person table nestled inside. "It's kind of small, but it's home."

"It's not small," you say, "It's quaint… cozy."

"Can you two quit flirting so we can eat dinner?" asks my father.

"No, but I'm sure we could refrain from doing so in front of you if it would make you feel better," you say.

My father nods and we all sit down.

You open the bottle of wine and start to fill the glasses while I start serving up plates.

"So… how long have you two been dating?" asks my father.

You pass my father a glass. "I think it's been about four months now that we've been meeting at the club. Does that sound right to you?"

"I honestly don't remember," I say, "It's been awhile."

"You've been meeting each other at the club for four months, and you didn't even know my son's name?" asks my father.

My eyes widen, and my mind races trying to figure out how he knew that.

"No one at the club uses their real name," you say, "It's a place to escape the worries of everyday life… to live a fantasy… to relax and unwind without all the pressures that society puts on us. I work long hours to help support my family, and the only chance I have to be just a teenager is when I'm at the club."

"You're helping support your family?" I ask, "You weren't… You led me to believe you were wealthy, at least relatively so! You said your family owns stock in Kaiba Corps."

"The wealth my family has is because I work. We do own stock in Kaiba Corps, and I can afford to take you out to a fancy dinner when I want," you say, "Because I've earned all the money that I have."

"If you're so wealthy, why are you interested in my son?" asks my father.

You look at me adoringly. "Do I really have to spell it out?"

I blush. "No."

"Yes."

"He's beautiful and surprisingly deep. He's devoted, confident, and courageous. He's capable of having intellectual conversations with me, and we have similar interests as both older brothers and Duel Monsters enthusiasts," you say, "Plus, Jou is very caring. He has such a big heart."

"Course I'm sure his ass also has something to do with why you like him," says my father mutilating a roll on his plate.

"Like I said… Jou is very beautiful and I doubt many people would not want to have him in their bed," you say, "And while I would like that, I prefer just being near him for now. It will be awhile before we think of going that far."

"I just don't want to see him hurt when you throw him away," says my father.

"I'm not going to throw him away. I will be your son's boyfriend until he breaks up with me. I have no intention of hurting him or breaking up with him."

"Dad? What's this all about?" I ask.

"That's what I'm wondering about," says my father standing abruptly and leaving the dining room.

"I'm sorry if I've done something to upset him," you say.

I look at my half-finished plate and sigh. "I think I've lost my appetite."

"Yeah. Me too. I could go get my computer and we could start working," you suggest, "Then maybe we'll feel up to eating dessert later."

"Okay. I'll start putting the food away while you do that," I say.

"Did you want me to help?"

"No. This will only take a minute," I say.

"I'll go get my computer from the car then," you say standing.

I stand and go into the kitchen to get some storage containers. I see my father digging in the fridge for a beer. "What the hell is your problem tonight?"

"He talks a big game, but all he wants is sex," my father says, "And once he gets it, he'll drop you."

"What makes you think that? Dad, Yami loves me!"

"Love? What a waste of time! Where's that damn beer?"

I look into the fridge and don't see any of the almost twelve beers that had been in the fridge this morning. "Dad, have you been drinking today?"

"And why the fuck shouldn't I be drinking? I lost my job! Downsizing my ass!"

I sigh and grab the storage containers from the cabinet before heading back into the dining room to put the food away. I put the food from the plates in separate dishes with different colored lids, and then I seal the rest of the food away in containers. I take everything back to the fridge and grab a warm beer from the cabinet for my father to get him out of the way. I place the food in the refrigerator and head out to the living room to see you setting up a laptop computer on the coffee table.

"Hey, Hikari."

"Dad's drunk. He lost his job. That's why he was going off on you. I'm sorry," I say.

"I'm not blaming you for his actions," you say, "Sit down here beside me."

I sit down beside you so that our legs touch.

"Let's start with the basics, turning the computer on…"

* * *

"You've done remarkably well, Hikari. I thought you said you were bad with computers," you say wrapping your arm around me.

"Well, I've crashed fifteen of them at school," I say flushing with embarrassment.

"You know, I'm going to leave this laptop in your care for a few days. Play around with it. Don't worry about crashing it," you say, "If you're not worried about doing something wrong, then nothing will go wrong."

"But won't you need it?"

"I have a desktop so I don't really need it," you say, "I don't mind letting my boyfriend borrow the computer for awhile." You pull me into a kiss.

"What if something happens?"

"Nothing will."

"But…"

"I trust you, Hikari. The computer will be fine. I will see you on Friday. Eight o'clock sound good or would you like to have dinner before we go to the club?" you ask.

"Could I talk you into burgers or pizza?"

"Where were you thinking of going?"

"I just don't want you to spend a fortune feeding me."

"Then how about we take a walk around the park and eat at the food stands and bistros? The meal will be rather inexpensive, and we could really get to know one another while we walk."

I kiss you quickly. "Perfect!"

"Six then?"

"Six."

"I need to go. I'll see you then." You hold me to you for a moment longer before kissing me good-bye and heading out.

"Dammit! I forgot to tell him about… Seto," I whisper the last word. I somehow feel like I'm cheating on you because I didn't tell you about my impending trip with Seto. I'll tell you on Friday.

* * *

"So how was your dinner date with Jou?" asks Mokuba pausing the game he's playing with Yugi.

"His dad was drunk and was giving us the third-degree on our relationship," says Seto sitting down on the couch in between the two smaller boys, "Apparently he lost his job."

"Oh, no! What's he going to do?" asks Yugi.

"Get drunk," says Seto.

"So… aside from that, how did it go?" asks Yugi.

"Once Jou and I were alone and working on the computer, everything turned around. All in all I'd do the day again," says Seto smiling, "But he didn't mention going to the Expo with me."

"Maybe he doesn't think of going with you to be a date," says Mokuba, "He could just think of it as hanging out with a friend."

"But we aren't friends," says Seto, "I would like us to be, but it's going to take time before he thinks of me as a friend."

"When is Yami seeing Jou again?" asks Mokuba.

"Friday. We're going to walk around the park and have dinner there before we go to the club," says Seto.

"Sounds romantic," says Yugi, "Did he notice your eyes?"

"Yeah. He was surprised that they were blue," says Seto, "and I was so afraid that he would have figured it out and tossed me to the curb." He sighs in relief. "Thankfully, he didn't seem to make the connection. I don't think we're ready for him to know yet."

"Not yet," says Yugi smiling, "but soon."

"Not until after the Expo though, and I think you should totally be flirting with him at the Expo," says Mokuba happily.

"Won't that be too soon?" asks Seto.

"The Expo is three weeks away," says Mokuba.

"And if you sit with us at lunch everyday and play nice with Jou, he might be susceptible to it then," says Yugi, "and maybe… just maybe, you should kiss him when you drop him off after the Expo. We'll talk about that more closer to the Expo."

"Oh, you know what else would be nice?" adds Mokuba, "You should take lunch for Jou everyday! With his father out of work, money will get tight quick, and he might not be able to bring his own!"

"You're right, and his father will need a job soon," says Seto, "I wonder if he would think to apply at Kaiba Corp?"

Mokuba smirks evilly. "Let me handle getting him a job!"

"Just don't do anything illegal, Mokuba," says Seto.

"I won't, I think," says Mokuba, "Just let me worry about his father and you worry about making him fall in love with you!"

"So I think taking lunch for him is a wonderful idea! The way to a man's heart is through his stomach!" exclaims Yugi; "We might be needing assistance soon. I wish I could bring some of the others in on this plan."

Seto tenses. "If you think we need their help, you can."

"Well we might need their help, but he can't bring them into the loop," says Yugi with a wistful sigh, "Anzu would be too overly enthusiastic. She would probably tell Jou on accident. Honda might attack you. He doesn't like you, and he's very protective of Jou. Otogi and Jou still have a bit of a feud going on because of the dog suit and Shizuka-kun."

"What about Bakura-kun?" asks Mokuba.

"Not that psycho!" exclaims Seto.

"He means Ryou-kun, not dark Bakura-kun," says Yugi, "Well, he certainly likes Jou, and Jou trusts him. We could trust him to keep it secret anyway. I'll talk to Ryou-kun, but I won't tell him the plan just yet."

Seto nods.

"Maybe we can use him for small jobs like getting Jou to bump into you somewhere," says Yugi, "but in the meantime…"

"Be nice to Jou and bring him food," says Seto.

"He loves chocolate. Put in something chocolaty," says Yugi, "and I will see you tomorrow at school."

"Save me a seat beside Jou," says Seto as Yugi stands.

Yugi smiles. "Good night."

"Night, Yugi!" says Mokuba.

Seto waits until after Yugi leaves before asking, "What would you like for lunch, Mokuba? If I'm going to be making lunch for Jou, I might as well make some for all of us."

Mokuba smiles. "In that case…"

* * *

"Jou?"

I turn around quickly and bump into a strong chest. I hear a chuckle.

"We really must quit meeting like this, Jou," says Seto, "People might start to talk."

"Let them talk!" I exclaim, "What's up?"

"I made a bit too much extra when I prepared lunch for Mokuba and myself," says Seto pulling out a lunch box, "and I was hoping you could take the rest of it off my hands. I swear it's not poisoned!"

"You know if I take that then people might start thinking you're my girlfriend," I say looking at the box hungrily. My stomach growls.

"Let them think that then. There are much worse things to be considered than your lover," says Seto. He lowers his voice to whisper into my ear, "Besides, I'm perfectly willing to bottom for the right person, Jou."

I can't help the blush that flares to my cheeks or the sudden surge of arousal coursing through my body.

"Just take the lunch."

"All right. Thank you," I say taking the box, "I couldn't bring one today anyway."

"Why not?"

"My dad lost his job. So until he finds some work, we're only eating one meal a day," I say.

"How about I bring you lunch everyday?" asks Seto, "It wouldn't be an inconvenience for me since I usually make too much anyway. And I don't want you to starve to death."

My stomach growls again.

"Jou?" Seto's blue eyes look worriedly at me.

"That would be great. Thank you, Kai… Seto," I say.

"You might want to eat this before class," says Seto slipping a nutrition bar on top of the box lunch, "Oh and if you ever need to, you can come to my place for dinner. Mokuba would appreciate the company. Truth be told, so would I."

"I might take you up on that," I say. I smile. "Thank you."

Seto brushes up against my arm as he passes me to go to class.

"He might not be all evil," I whisper.

"Morning, Jou," says Ryou stepping up to me.

"Hi, Ryou-kun," I say opening the package around the nutrition bar, "How are you?"

"I'm not doing as well as you it seems," says Ryou, "I think half the school just saw your display with Kaiba. There's already a rumor that you two are an item and one that says Kaiba adopted you so he'd have a pet."

"We're just… friends, I guess. I don't know what's going on myself," I say, "but I like this change. It's preferable to fighting with Seto any day! Rumors or not!"

"I like the change too," says Ryou smiling, "If you need any help…"

"Yeah. I know where to find you, buddy!" I exclaim eating quickly as we head to class.

"How do you feel about him? Kaiba that is."

My heart thumps once in my chest. Huh? "I… I don't know."

Ryou smiles.

"Oh, don't give me that look!"

"What look?"

"That innocently evil look that all you Item wielders get sometimes!" I exclaim, "The one that means you're scheming something but trying to look like you aren't!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Jou," says Ryou, "I'm not scheming anything!"

"All right then," I say moving to my seat. I glance over at Seto and see him reading a book.

Seto lowers his book and looks over at me with a smile. He has a beautiful smile.

I blush and turn away quickly.

The teacher comes in just in time.

* * *

"Can I offer anyone a ride home?" asks Seto walking out of the school with my entire group of friends.

"Yeah! Thanks," says Yugi, "That would be wonderful!"

"Me too," says Ryou quickly.

"I've always wanted to ride in a limo!" exclaims Anzu.

"Will it hold everyone?" I ask.

"Silly, Jou, of course it will!" Seto says smiling at me.

"Count me in then!" I say smiling back at Seto, "Thanks!"

"You really don't mind giving us all a ride?" asks Otogi.

"I wouldn't have offered if it was a problem," says Seto.

Otogi nods.

"Let's go then," says Honda.

We all walk down to the waiting limo and climb inside.

"You can just drop Honda off at my game shop with me," says Otogi.

"I'm on the way to the Black Crown," says Anzu, "So you can drop me off first."

Seto's hand brushes against my knee as he reaches for the intercom to give the driver the directions.

I notice Ryou discreetly take Yugi's hand and squeeze it before letting go, and the first thing that comes to mind is the bond they share because of their bonds with the spirits of the Millennium Items. I can't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy and a bout of remorse for that same jealousy.

"So how is business, Otogi? You aren't stealing all the customers from Kame, are you?" asks Seto.

"You know I'm not," says Otogi, "There have been several Kaiba Corp releases that are only going to the Kame Game Shop. I can't even special order them!"

"What?" asks Yugi with wider than normal eyes.

Seto shrugs. "They're smaller and not as fancy, so they need the extra help to stay afloat. And you need the competition of another game shop in town so you don't gouge prices."

"Seto… how long have you been helping out the Kame Game Shop by giving us this exclusivity?" asks Yugi.

"Ever since Otogi moved here," says Seto, "I don't want my…" He sighs. "I don't want one of my biggest rivals and only friends to have financial problems. How could I ever beat you in good conscious then?"

Yugi smiles. "Thank you, Seto, for considering me a friend! It's about time."

"I'm never admitting that again."

"That's okay," says Anzu, "We all heard it this time."

Seto blushes slightly. He's cute when he blushes.

The limo pulls to a stop outside Anzu's house.

"Don't worry though, Kaiba. Your secret's safe with us!" exclaims Anzu climbing out quickly.

"The whole school will know by morning," says Honda after Anzu closes the door.

"As long as she doesn't go talk to the tabloids," says Otogi, "Then you should be fine."

"Let her talk. At least it's not about my love life," says Seto, "I hate people knowing about that."

"So… are any of the rumors true?" asks Ryou, "Are you dating anyone right now? Are you gay?"

"No comment," says Seto, "And since when did you join the press?"

Ryou giggles. "I'm just curious. Nothing you say leaves this car."

"I repeat. No comment."

The limo stops outside the Black Crown Game Shop.

"Thanks for the ride," says Otogi getting out with Honda.

I lean back in my seat and close my eyes.

"Jou… Jou, you're home," whispers Seto into my ear.

I slowly open my eyes to find myself cuddled up against Seto's side. I gasp and jump away from him. "Huh? What? Where am I?"

"You fell asleep," says Seto gently, "You're home now. Go take a nap."

"Okay," I say yawning, and I get out of the limo and go inside.

"Now that we're almost alone, I have a question for you, Kaiba," says Ryou.

"What is it?" asks Seto as the limo begins to move again.

"Do you have a romantic interest in Jou?" asks Ryou looking at Seto seriously.

"Yes."

"What gave it away?" asks Yugi.

"His display with Jou this morning was my first clue," says Ryou, "But he's also been using any reason he can to touch Jou… just slight touches. All non-violent, caring. It's obvious if you know what signs to look for."

"We might as well tell you then," says Seto, "I have more than just a passing interest for him. I'm in love with Jou."

"And Jou doesn't know how he feels about you," says Ryou.

"Actually… he sort of does and doesn't," says Yugi.

Ryou raises an eyebrow.

"Jou and I are dating, but he doesn't know it's me he's dating," says Seto, "We met at the Love Shack…"

"You're Yami and Hikari!" gasps Ryou.

"Uh… how did you know that?" asks Seto.

Ryou blushes. "I go there too… just to dance. I've seen Yami and Hikari there, and I always get a feeling of déjà vu… like I know them. Now I know. The passion I see in them when they dance is the same passion I see in you and Jou when you fight."

"You're right, and I know that Jou is Hikari, but Jou doesn't know that I'm Yami," says Seto.

"But Jou does love Yami so we're trying to get him to love Seto as well," says Yugi.

"Can I help?" asks Ryou smiling.

"Yeah, but we can't let the others know," says Yugi.

"Deal!"

* * *

I walk into the kitchen to start making dinner, and I look into the fridge. Empty. Completely empty. I open the freezer. Not even the ice trays are filled. In a panic, I tear open all the cabinets. "Nothing. No food… Dad!"

No answer. Is he out looking for a job? Is he passed out drunk? Is he dead?

I run around the entire house looking for my father or a note or anything. "Dad?"

The phone rings, and I rush to grab it. "Dad?"

I'm sorry. Who am I speaking to?

"This is Jounouchi Katsuya. Who are you?" I reply.

Jounouchi-san, this is Nurse Nadoka at Domino General Hospital. Your father was admitted here this morning.

"What happened to him?"

Apparently he stepped in front of a car. Can you come down?

"Yeah. I'm coming." I drop the receiver and fall to my knees trembling. After a good ten minutes of crying, I get up, grab the phone, and dial the number to the Kaiba Mansion.

Moshi moshi, says Mokuba cheerily.

"Mokuba, it's Jou. Can I speak to Seto? It's important."

Seto… Jou's on the line for you!

Hello, Jou, comes Seto's voice.

"Listen. Can you give me a ride to the hospital?" I ask.

Are you hurt?

"No… it's my dad. He's at the hospital."

I'm on the way to pick you up. Stay calm, okay? I'm sure he'll be fine.

"Thanks," I say before lowering the receiver. I wrap my arms around myself and count my breaths to try to remain calm. I soon hear the car pull up in front of my house, but I don't move.

Seto knocks on the door before opening it and coming in to find me on the floor. He hurries to my side and pulls me into an embrace. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know what happened," I say.

"We'll go find out. Where's your coat?" asks Seto rubbing my back.

"I don't know…"

Seto looks around and sees the closet by the door. He slowly releases me and moves to the closet only to find it empty. "Jou? Where is your coat?"

"In there," I say, "The green one… or the black leather."

Seto closes the door and pulls off his trench coat. He wraps it around me as he helps me to stand. "Come on. Let's go."

I snuggle into Seto's coat and follow him out to his car. I let him help me into the passenger's seat.

Seto drives us to the hospital and wraps his arm around me to guide me inside. He steps up to the nurse's desk. "We received a call that my friend's father is here. The name's Jounouchi."

The nurse types in the name. "Will you please wait over there? The doctor will be out to speak with you soon."

"All right," says Seto taking me over to a chair in the waiting area and sitting down beside me. "Are you doing okay?"

"I'm… I'm a little shook up," I say, "I don't know what's happened… They… said he stepped in front of a car."

"He was probably rushing to a job interview and forgot to watch where he was going," says Seto, "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

"What'll I do if he's dead?"

"Don't think that! If you give up on him…"

"Jounouchi-kun?" asks an elderly man approaching us.

"Yeah?" I ask standing up on trembling knees. "How's my dad? What happened? Is he okay?"

Seto stands and wraps an arm around my waist for support.

"Your father stepped out into oncoming traffic. It would seem to be intentional. He's been hurt very badly, and he was quite intoxicated when the ambulance brought him in," explains the doctor, "He's not going to make it. I'm sorry."  
I fall into Seto's arms, and he lowers me to a chair. "Can I see him?"

"We can only let you in for a few moments," says the doctor.

I nod. I try to stand, but my knees don't seem to work.

Seto helps me stand and holds me close as we follow the doctor.

We step into the room.

"Dad?" I ask looking at the prone form of the man in front of me.

Brown eyes look at us. "Yami, take care of my son. Promise you'll take care of him."

"I swear I will," says Seto.

"Love you, Jou."

"I love you too, Dad. What happened?" I ask.

One of the machines hooked to my father starts making a different noise, and the doctor pushes us out the door.

"Why?"

"I don't know, Jou," says Seto holding me tenderly and getting me out of the way of the hospital workers who rush through the halls. He guides us back to the waiting room.

"Why did he call you Yami?"

"I'd been hoping you could explain that for me," says Seto, "Who is Yami?"

"My boyfriend."

"I see. Maybe he thought I resemble him or maybe he just saw me holding you up and thought I must have been Yami," says Seto.

"What am I going to do now?" I ask, "Doc says he's going to die."

"I promised him I'd take care of you," says Seto, "I may not be who he thought, but I'll keep that promise. I'll take care of you, Jou."

I snuggle further into Seto's coat and lean against him. I close my eyes as the tears start to fall. "Thank you."

Seto wraps his arms around me and lets me cry into his chest. His strong arms hold me so tenderly… just like you…

I hear voices. Where am I?

"There was extensive internal bleeding, complete liver and kidney failure, several broken bones. Some of which pierced his organs. We did all we could, but he didn't want to be rescued," comes a strange adult voice.

"What do you mean? He didn't want to be rescued?" I know that voice! Seto Kaiba!

"Last week, he signed a DNR at his doctor's office. A 'Do Not Resuscitate' order so that the instance his heart stops… we can't try to bring him back. We wait to see if he'll come back on his own in a few minutes, then proclaim him dead. He had also requested not to be put on a donor list for a new kidney."

"So he knew he was sick?"

"Yes. I think he wanted this. Short and as painless as possible instead of long and excruciatingly painful."

"How are we going to explain this to Jou?"

"I'll talk to him…"

"No need." As I sit up, I realize my soft pillow was sitting on Seto's lap. "I'm awake. I heard… everything… Why didn't he tell me he was sick?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know," says the doctor.

"Is he gone now?" I ask.

"Yes."

"Can we go now?"

"If you want," says the doctor, "The nurse has a box with all your dad's personals in it."

I nod. I stand and walk to the nurse's desk.

Seto steps up behind me and places a hand on my shoulder.

The nurse hands over the box, and I clutch it to my chest as I leave with Seto.

"I don't think you should go back to your place tonight," says Seto once we're in his car again, "Do you want me to take you to Yugi's or back to my place?"

"Yours… I can't handle this right now. I just need to sleep," I say.

"I understand." Seto starts the engine and drives us away.

"What about arrangements? The funeral? How will I ever pay for it?" I ask.

"I'll pay for it. I can make all the arrangements if you need me to."

I nod.

"Okay. I'll take care of it."

"Thanks, Seto."

"Thanks aren't required. I'd do the same for any of my friends."

"I never knew you thought of me as a friend. With the way we act towards each other, I thought we hated one another."

"I've never hated you," says Seto, "Never hate."

"I don't hate you either."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. Friends, then?"

"Yeah. Friends." My heart feels lighter than it ever has before… despite the fact that my father's just died.

In no time at all, Seto leads me up to an elegant guest room.

"That room's mine, and Mokuba's is there," says Seto pointing to the closed doors, "Feel free to come to either of us if you need anything. I'll bring some food up in case you get hungry later."

"Don't leave me…"

"Okay, I won't go," says Seto stepping into the room with me.

"Can you just stay with me until I fall asleep?" I ask moving over to the bed.

"Of course I will."

I don't bother to undress. I only kick off my shoes before climbing on top of the blankets and lying down to sleep.

"Rest now, Jou. Tomorrow will be a better day," says Seto moving the desk chair over to sit beside me. He strokes my hair lightly as I drift off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Love Shack

Love Shack

By

Hideki LaShae

Chapter Six

"Where did you disappear to last night, Seto?"

"I went to get Jou. He needed a ride somewhere."

"Oh, yeah. I remember him calling."

"He stayed here last night."

"He did? Seto, you…"

I quit listening outside and slide the door open. "Thank you for letting me stay here last night, Seto."

"Anytime, Jou. I mean that. Anytime you need a place to stay, you're welcome here," says Seto.

"Can we talk privately for a few moments, Seto?" I ask lowering my eyes.

"Of course. Let's go into my office," says Seto standing up from the breakfast table and leading me to his home office. He guides me over to the couch, and we both sit down together. "What is it, Jou?"

"I can't go back to my place. I know I need to get my stuff, but I just can't live there anymore," I say.

"Where will you live? That room could be yours permanently if you want it."

"I'm going to ask Grandpa Motou if I can stay with them."

Seto looks down sadly.

"I appreciate everything you've done, but I don't think my boyfriend would like me staying with you. It's public knowledge that Yugi's my best friend," I explain, "So Yami wouldn't think I was sleeping with Yugi."

"Yes. I see your point. I would be jealous of any man sharing a home with the person I love," says Seto, "I understand, but you will agree to stay with me if Grandpa Motou can't afford to support you."

I nod.

"Okay."

"Will you help me go get my stuff today and go talk to Grandpa?" I ask, "I don't want to go to school today…"

"I've taken the liberty of informing the principal of your father's death. They're not expecting you to be there before Monday at the earliest," says Seto, "and they aren't expecting me today since I'm doing the funeral prep."

"So can we go?"

"Do you want to eat something first?"

I shake my head.

"Okay, then. We'll leave the limo for Mokuba and take my car… Wait. How much stuff do you have? We could take the minivan," says Seto.

"You own a minivan?" I blink in confusion. "Why do you need a minivan?"

"For discretion when Mokuba and his friends want to go to the zoo or amusement park or wherever," says Seto smiling, "Or to soccer practice."

"Seto's a soccer mom!" I chuckle.

Seto raises his hand for a moment before clenching his fist. "Come on. We'll take the minivan."

"Wait until I tell everyone at school that Seto's a soccer mom!" I exclaim following Seto out of the room.

Seto grabs my hand and pulls me along gently. "No one will believe it of course, but you're free to tell whoever you want."

"Okay! I will!"

We climb into the minivan, and Seto drives us out of the garage and away from the estate.

I sing along with the radio as we travel. I don't want to talk just yet, but I can't stand silence, so I sing. I see you smiling and tapping your fingers on the wheel. I smile. Smiles are contagious.

The minivan pulls to a stop outside of my place.

Seto and I climb out and head inside.

Seto looks at the coat closet. "Should we start in your room?"

I nod and lead the way to my room. I freeze when I see my bed cleared of its sheets.

Seto places his hand on my shoulder.

"Maybe he'd been planning on doing laundry before he got…"

"Maybe…"

I rush to my closet and throw the door open. I bring out my school uniforms and two other outfits… the white jeans, Blue-Eyes t-shirt, and green shirt and a pair of black jeans and light blue sweater. "Most of my clothes are gone."

"What about your deck, Jou? Do you have your Duel Monster's Deck?" asks Seto.

My eyes widen, and I dive under my bed in a panic. I bring out a metal lock box and notice that it's been busted open. "I… I can't look!"

Seto takes the box from my hands and sits down on my bed. He opens the lid and lifts out an envelope before saying, "It's here… or at least, your Red-Eyes is in here with a stack of Duel Monsters cards."

I breathe a sigh of relief as I sit down beside Seto and lift my deck to look through all the cards. "They're all here! I thought… when I saw the lock was broken, I thought he'd taken my deck…"

"He opened the box to give you this," says Seto passing me the envelope, "Do you want me to leave you alone while you read it?"

"I'll read it later. Let's just get my stuff and get out of this house," I say.

"Okay. Why don't you take all this out to the minivan and I'll see what else is here," says Seto.

I nod and gather up my clothes and lock box to go outside.

Seto opens a drawer of my dresser and pulls out my photo frames and album.

I come back inside in time to see Seto blushing as he holds up a mesh bodysuit. "What the hell is that?"

"Shouldn't you be telling me that?" asks Seto, "After all, this is your house and apparently your underwear drawer." He places it on the bed. "I think your boyfriend will really like seeing you in that."

My entire body blushes. "We… we don't have that kind of relationship…"

"Yet anyway," says Seto, "but one day… when you're both ready… you will. I think sex between two people who really, deeply love each other, people who are each other's best friend, is a truly wonderful and amazing thing. Sex should never be given out freely. It is too special for that."

"I love him."

"I didn't mean to imply you don't, Jou."

"I love him, but he isn't my best friend. There's still so much I don't know about him. I'm willing to learn all there is," I say, "and I'd like to wait to have sex with him until we know each other better. But if he asks…"

"Your resistance might crumble."

"Never know." I move up beside Seto and help him empty my sock and underwear drawer onto the bed. "It's different."

"I'm sorry. What's different?"

"That! You. Me. Us. Everything. You just apologized. We're sitting here going through my unmentionables and talking about sex! A month ago we'd never be doing any of this! I like this… being able to talk to you like a friend." I lean into you. "Thank you for being here."

"I'm glad to be able to help."

"Let's hurry so we can get out of here!"

"What do you think happened to the rest of your clothes?" asks Seto.

"Dad knows a guy who does estate sales. You know… he buys dead people's stuff and resells it at flea markets, online, or in his used shop. A lot of my new clothes will resell high online," I say, "I bought some stuff for myself with my Duel Monsters winnings."

"And now you have nothing," says Seto, "I'll go see if I can find a bag to put this stuff in."

"Yeah. I'll check the rest of the house for any of my stuff that might be around," I say.

Seto nods, and we both leave the room.

I look through the rest of the house and only carry my bag of schoolbooks back into my room to see Seto stuffing everything into a plastic trash bag. "This is all there is. At least my Deck is still here."

Seto tosses the mesh bodysuit in the bag. "This is everything then. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. There's nothing left for me here."

"I'll drive you to the Kame Game Shop then," says Seto.

I nod as I follow Seto out to the minivan.

"You know you're welcome at my place, right?"

"I know… Can I ask you a huge favor?"

"Anything."

"I'm supposed to meet Yami here tomorrow night. Could you meet him instead and tell him where I'm staying? I just don't want to come back here again!"

"All right, Jou. I'll meet Yami. I'll explain everything."

"I'll write a note for you to give him too. After all, we've never been seen as friends. I don't want him to think I'm blowing him off, but I won't be up to clubbing this weekend," I say.

"Your father just died. No one would complain about you needing a bit of time to… adjust."

I smile until my stomach growls.

"Do you feel up to eating?"

"Not really, but I know that I should. It's not healthy to just stop eating," I say with a sigh.

"We'll make a stop before the game shop then," says Seto turning down a side road.

"Thanks…"

Seto stops the minivan outside a discreet little restaurant with a plaque in the window reading 'Voulez-Vous.'

"Where are we?" I ask.

"Voulez-Vous. It's a rather exclusive restaurant. The desserts are to die for! We'll start with the dessert menu and then move to something more substantial if you still feel like eating," says Seto.

I smile as we climb out and walk into the building.

"Kaiba-sama! Welcome!" exclaims a woman in a formal evening gown despite the fact it's early afternoon. "Who is this positively charming young man you're with?"

"Jounouchi-sama," says Seto respectfully, "A very good friend."

"Please, follow me," says the woman leading us to a candlelit table.

"Thank you. We would like to start with dessert, please," says Seto taking his seat.

The woman smiles and begins speaking rapidly in a foreign language or two.

Seto holds up his hand to stop the woman's tirade and speaks to her in what I think is French. He smiles when she walks away. "I'm sorry if you didn't understand her. She gets excited about food. Mokuba and I normally get a special dessert sample platter. We call it 'Desserts of the World' because it showcases foods of many different origins. She only serves it to us. It's not actually on the menu."

"Do you two come here often?"

"No. We only eat out on weekends, and there are several restaurants we might go to. This place is an indulgence we must earn. I'll have to increase my workout routine for a week to work off all the calories in these desserts!"

"Are you sure I wouldn't be intruding on your life with Mokuba if I moved in with you?"

Seto looks at me hopefully. "We have plenty of room for you, and Mokuba would like to have another big brother around. I spend as much time with him as I can, but I do have to work a lot. He doesn't need a babysitter, but I would feel more comfortable if he wasn't alone in the house."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"I'll move in with you and Mokuba. Grandpa Motou would certainly welcome me into his home, but it might get a little cramped and I don't want to be a burden to him," I say, "I'll stay with you since you seem to really want me there." I smile.

"Great! There are a few house rules though," says Seto smiling, "First, no one calls after ten unless it's an emergency. Mokuba goes to bed at ten. You and I will be going to bed at eleven."

I blush.

"We get up at six-thirty. Breakfast is served at seven. Homework is done before dinner. Games played after dinner," says Seto, "I will expect you to set a good example for my little brother. Your friends can come over just so long as they're well behaved. And no one enters my home office unless I invite them in."

"Okay," I say.

"I'll replace everything your father got rid of," says Seto.

"You don't need to…"

"Yes, I do. You won't be wearing your school uniform all the time."

A huge platter lowers in front of us, and I look up at the woman in shock.

"Thank you," says Seto.

* * *

"So many desserts!" I rub my stomach happily as Seto helps me carry my stuff to my room.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it," says Seto chuckling, "Mokuba will be home soon, and I have some work to do. Will you be okay alone for a bit?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," I say.

"If you need anything, my cell phone number is on the refrigerator. I hope this won't take too long, but I'll be home in time for dinner at least," says Seto.

"Okay. I'm going to take a nap," I say.

Seto reaches out and caresses my cheek for a second before turning and leaving my room. He goes to his home office and boots up his computer so that he can engage the tracking device on his laptop and locate it. In a matter of moments, he holds a printout with the address and directions on how to get there. With this in hand, he heads out.

Seto takes two bodyguards in his limo with him when he leaves the mansion.

"Where are we going, sir?"

"I lent my laptop to a friend, and his father sold it," says Seto, "So we're going to retrieve it."

"By force?"

"If necessary."

"I hope it's necessary," says one bodyguard.

"Do you want us to rough up the father too?" asks the other bodyguard.

"He's dead," says Seto.

"Shit."

"I think he sold everything to give my friend some money to start a new life before he committed suicide," says Seto, "He stepped in front of a moving vehicle."

The limo pulls to a stop in front of a dingy thrift store, and the three climb out and enter.

The man behind the counter glares at Seto. "I don't give directions."

"And I don't need them," says Seto simply, "Are you the owner?"

"What do you care?"

"A man named Jounouchi sold a great deal of my belongings, at least one of which is here," says Seto glaring at the man.

"Are you calling Jounouchi a thief?"

"I'm calling him confused. He sold several of his son's items with mine, and he was no doubt uncertain what belonged to whom," says Seto, "How they got here is none of my concern. I need everything he sold you back. I mean everything!"

"Then I need the money back," says the man, "I gave Jounouchi 200,000 yen for all that shit."

"Fine. Gather everything he sold you," says Seto pulling out his checkbook. He watches the man gather together the clothes, dishes, bedding and other items.

"This is everything," says the man.

"Don't lie to me."

"This is it. Everything Jounouchi sold me," says the man.

"Some of the clothing was brand name leather and there was also a computer," says Seto.

"No, there wasn't," says the man.

"Gentlemen," says Seto.

One of the bodyguards cracks his knuckles. "Now, we know for a fact the computer's here. Do you want to hand it over all nice-like, or are we going to have to find it ourselves?"

"I don't have a laptop!" sneers the man.

"I never said it was a laptop," says Seto smirking, "although it is. You've just proved that you do have it."

"You might want to wait outside, boss," says the second guard.

Seto nods and grabs the bags already set aside and heads out to put them in the limo. He's just arranging the last bag in the trunk when his bodyguards come out carrying three more. He raises an eyebrow.

"We have the laptop too."

"Good," says Seto as his men put the bags in the trunk, "How much is the damage?"

"Not bad," says the guard, "He seemed quite pleased when I gave him 500,000 yen to pay for it all."

"The agreed price was two," says Seto.

"But the damage was also two."

Seto nods. "It doesn't matter. Let's go."

They get back in the limo and return to the mansion, and they all carry the bags up to my room.

Seto enters to find me lying on the bed, whimpering in my sleep. He motions for the others to be quiet as they enter to deposit the bags of my stuff. He waits for them to leave before softly whispering into my ear, "Time to wake up now, Hikari."

"Yami?" I slowly open my eyes and see you for a moment before I blink. When I open my eyes again, I see Seto sitting beside me.

"It sounded like you were having a nightmare," says Seto, "Are you okay?"

I blush and shift to try to hide my arousal. "I'm okay. It was nothing."

"All right. I brought in a few things for you. You can put them away at your leisure," says Seto.

"Thank you," I say, "So… um… where's the bathroom in this place?"

Seto points to a door. "That one is yours. I can show you to some of the others when I give you a tour of your new home."

I smile. "Home…"

Seto smiles, and he looks just like you.

I find myself drawn to him, and before I even realize what I'm doing, I'm placing a chaste kiss on the side of Seto's mouth. "Thank you."

Seto blushes, but he doesn't say anything.

I get up and quickly rush into the bathroom. I can't believe I just did that! What the hell was I thinking? It must have been because of that stupid erotic fantasy… stupid dream Yami turning into stupid dream Seto! … But gods, did dream Seto have a skilled mouth! No! Don't think such thoughts! I'm in love with Yami! I don't want to have sex with Seto… It's only lust…

I strip quickly and jump in the shower to wash away my erection and all the proof of my physical attraction to Seto. When I'm done, I wrap a robe around myself, and I head back into my room. I see the bags Seto brought in and my lock box on the nightstand. I move to the bags first and start to unload one onto my bed. My heart swells with joy when I discover Yami's laptop in the pile of my clubbing attire. I spend the rest of the evening putting away my clothes and setting aside the household items for donation or disposal. I stop only long enough to have dinner with Seto and Mokuba.

A soft knock sounds on my door.

"Yeah? Come in," I call.

The door opens, and Mokuba steps inside. "Wow! The room looks nice. The pictures of your sister make it really look lived in!

"Thanks!" I say tossing the chipped wine glasses into one of the trash bags and putting the good ones in the 'donation' bag as designated by the masking tape I put on the outside.

"Well, it's ten o'clock. I just came to wish you a good night," says Mokuba.

"Oh. Is it that late already?" I ask looking around for a clock, "Oh, right. I haven't found my alarm clock yet."

"I'll wake you in the morning then," says Mokuba hesitating a moment before running up and hugging me quickly.

"Good night, Mokuba," I say before watching him run off to go to bed. I continue to sort and put away items until another knock distracts me.

"Yeah? Come in!"

The door opens again, and Seto walks in. "It's eleven, Jou."

"Oh, right. Bedtime. Okay. I'll be in bed in a few minutes. Good night, Seto," I say.

"Remember. I'm next door if you need anything," says Seto walking up to me.

"Okay. Thank you."

Seto pulls me into an embrace and kisses my forehead. "Good night. Sleep well, Jou."

"Same to you, Seto," I say smiling as Seto heads out of my room and closes the door.

"I haven't found my pajamas either," I say with a sigh. I brush my teeth before climbing into bed naked. I close my eyes and relax only to find sleep won't come. After what feels like hours, I sit up and turn on the lamp on the nightstand. I grab the envelope from my lock box and open it. My eyes widen when I see the large wad of cash. I pull out the enclosed letter and open it.

'To my son, Jounouchi Katsuya. By now you've noticed I've sold everything we own. I've emptied my bank accounts as well. I hope this 1,000,000 yen will help you to live well until you get the money from my life insurance policy. I'm sorry to do this to you, Jou, but I'm dying. A kidney transplant could save me, but it could be years before a donor kidney could be found for me. Without my job, I've no health insurance, and I can't leave you with millions in medical expenses. Please, don't think ill of me because I've decided to go with this route. My life insurance company will give the money to your friend's grandfather at the Kame Game Shop… for you. You might want to stay at the Game Shop until then, but after that I have no objections to you moving into your boyfriend's place. I hope Yami takes good care of you. I love you, Jou, and I'm sorry for everything… Love your father…'

I drop the letter and hide my face in my hands as I start to cry. When I finally stop crying, I climb out of bed, leaving the letter and envelope of money where they had landed. I pull on my robe, turn the light off, and head out into the hallway. I knock quietly on Seto's door. When I get no response, I open it and slip inside. I step up to the bed. "Seto?"

"You should be in bed, Jou," says Seto without opening his eyes.

"I can't sleep. Can I stay in here with you?" I ask timidly.

"Fine. Get in," says Seto sliding over.

I drop my robe and climb into bed, resting my body in the warm spot just vacated by my… he's a bit more than a friend, isn't he?

"Good night," says Seto.

"Thank you." What is Seto to me really? Not long ago we were enemies or rivals or whatever. But now, I'm lying naked in a bed beside him, and he says he doesn't own pajamas… so he's naked too. And I had that dream about him last night. I can't deny that we'd be good in bed together… but I have you… but he reminds me of you… Who are you?

* * *

Seto wakes up from a wonderful dream of having Jou on his knees sucking him off only to find a hand that isn't his own stroking his erect cock. He turns his head to look over his shoulder at me.

I whisper. "Yami, I can't come. I keep stroking and stroking, but I won't come!"

"Jou," hisses Seto.

"Yami, I can't come. What do I have to do in order to come?"

"You need to wake up, Jou."

"Yami! Help me… Oh, Seto, you'll help me come, won't you? Help me, Seto! What do I do?" I whimper and rub my hard erection against Seto's ass cheeks.

"You need to wake up and then you can come, Jou," says Seto trying to pry my hand from his cock. He groans in pain as my cock presses first against and then through his barrier into his anal passage.

I moan in pleasure. "Oh, yes! Seto, ass fuck me! Stick another finger up my ass. Make me ready for that big cock of yours!"

"Jou!" exclaims Seto loudly.

"Seto… call me 'puppy'… call me 'yours'…"

The last of Seto's resistance fades away with my words. "You are mine, Jou. You are my special dragon puppy, and I love you!"

"Yes! I love you too, Seto… my dark knight… my yami…" I slam my penis against Seto's prostate and jerk him quickly with my hands. "Oh, Seto. You feel so good inside me! I'm going to come!"

"Make me come with you, puppy!"

"Yes!" I exclaim moving faster, "I love my master!" My release shoots into Seto's ass.

"Jou!" exclaims Seto releasing into my hand.

"Seto, I love you…"

"I love you too, Jou," says Seto pulling away so that I slide out of him, "Go to sleep now. I'm going to get a cloth and clean you up. Then I'll join you for a nap. All right?"

"Okay," I say snuggling further into the blankets around me.

Seto slides from the bed and winces as he makes his way into the bathroom. He closes the door and locks it before sinking to the floor. "Dammit, Jou… what were you thinking?"

* * *

I wake up in bed alone and feel the stickiness on my hand. I lift the blankets to look down at myself and I see traces of more than one bodily fluid that I recognize, blood and semen. I squirm around to test my muscles, but I don't feel any pain.

The bathroom door opens and Seto walks out still towel-drying his hair.

Wait… He's limping slightly. Oh, Gods! Did I…?

Seto glances my way. "So you're awake now. You can use my bath if you want or you could return to your own room."

"Um… Seto, did I do anything weird last night?" I ask looking down at the bed.

"No. Not weird. Just different. After all it's not everyday you crawl into bed with me," says Seto, "But feel free to do so whenever you need to." He smiles at me. "Although…"

"What?" I feel the color drain from my face. He's going to tell me I raped him, isn't he?

"Were you aware that you talk in your sleep?"

"Oh, Gods! What did I say?"

"It sounded like a sex dream so I decided to leave you and Yami alone," says Seto, "I only heard you ask Yami to make you come."

"Oh, Gods!" I sink into the bed and pull the blankets over myself. I remember that dream. Yami just stood back watching me stroke myself. It was Seto who appeared to fuck me and make me come. He took my dream virginity! And I gave it to him so willingly, so completely, and it was the best orgasm of my life!

"I'm going to my home office. I'll see you downstairs for breakfast," says Seto.

"Okay," I mumble. I wait for the sound of the door closing before I get out of bed and walk naked into the bathroom. "Is it cheating if you only dream it? Maybe it means I don't love Yami as much as I think I do… I need to talk to Yugi…"

* * *

"The funeral's tomorrow. I think you two should go shopping for something to wear," says Seto once we're finished breakfast, "You don't mind skipping school today, do you, Mokuba?"

"Not at all, I'm ahead anyway," says Mokuba, "Would you like to go shopping, Jou?"

"Okay, I guess," I say.

"Feel free to pick up anything else you might want as well," says Seto passing me his credit card, "I'll let you carry this. If I give it to Mokuba, he'll come home with a toy shop or two."

"Hey! I only bought the toy store that one time! And since I gave it back it's been doing much better financially!" exclaims Mokuba.

Seto sighs. "That's because you aren't charging them rent on that building you now own."

Mokuba shrugs. "Whatever…"

"I'm heading to the office. Take the limo," says Seto standing up. "If you want, Jou, your friends could spend the night here and go to the funeral with us tomorrow."

I smile at Seto. "Thank you…"

Seto heads out.

"Is Seto limping?" asks Mokuba.

"You noticed too? I think he's trying to hide it," I say.

"He normally tries to hide his injuries," says Mokuba, "He can't let anyone know he's weaker than normal. I wonder what happened though."

"Hmm…"

Mokuba eyes me warily for a moment. "Let's play a video-game before we go shopping!"

* * *

Seto pulls up outside the Kame Game Shop and sees Yugi sweeping the sidewalk. He climbs out of his car. "Hey, Yugi!"

Yugi looks up and smiles when he sees Seto. "Morning!"

"Are you almost done? I'll give you a ride," says Seto.

"Yeah. Just give me a minute!" exclaims Yugi. He finishes sweeping quickly and puts the broom away inside the shop. He grabs his bag of books and heads out to climb into Seto's car with him. "So… Jou says he's living with you now. How's that going?"

"We're grabbing Ryou and skipping school," says Seto throwing the car into gear and taking off.

"That bad, huh?" asks Yugi with a sigh. "Sorry…"

"I'll explain once we have Ryou up in my office," says Seto.

Yugi's eyes widen. "Sure."

Seto stops the car right outside Ryou's apartment building just as Ryou's stepping out the door. "Get in."

Ryou opens the back door and slides in. "Good morning, all."

"Hi, Ryou," says Yugi, "We're skipping school today."

"Oh," says Ryou as the car starts to move towards the Kaiba Corp building, "What happened between you and Jou, Seto?"

"We'll talk in my office," says Seto, "The funeral for Jou's father is tomorrow. He's going shopping with Mokuba for some clothes to wear."

The rest of the trip to the building and up to Seto's office is done in silence.

Seto closes and locks the door.

"Okay. What happened? Why are you limping?" asks Yugi.

"Did you have sex with Jou?" asks Ryou.

"Have either of you had a sleepover with Jou?" asks Seto moving to sit on the sofa along one wall.

Ryou shakes his head. "No!"

"Jou doesn't like having sleepovers," says Yugi.

"He couldn't sleep last night so he asked if he could sleep with me," says Seto, "and I agreed. He crawled into bed naked and fell asleep. I had no intention of molesting him in his sleep, but I woke up with him rubbing me." He blushes. "I tried to wake him but he was sleep talking…"

Both Ryou and Yugi stare at Seto with wide eyes.

"You've been limping!" exclaims Yugi.

"Jou took you while he slept!" exclaims Ryou.

Seto nods.

"That must have been one good dream between him and Yami," says Yugi.

"That's the thing though…"

Ryou kneels down on the floor in front of Seto and takes the brunet's hands. "What happened, Seto? We can't decide what to do next if we don't know what happened…"

"If he'd been calling out for Yami the entire time, I think I could have resisted him," explains Seto, "but it sounded like Yami wouldn't help him. And then suddenly he was calling out my name and begging me to help him. Apparently dream-me decided to help. He even asked me to call him 'my puppy'!"

Yugi sits down beside Seto. "He's turning your derogatory nickname for him into a pet name."

"He even said he loved me… that he loved Seto, but in the very same breath he called me 'his dark knight' and Yami," says Seto.

"Oh dear!" exclaims Ryou, and at the same time Yugi says, "Oh, my!"

"Jou knows who Yami really is," says Ryou.

Although it might only be subconsciously," adds Yugi, "Go on. What else happened?"

"After he finished, I told him to sleep, and I'd clean him up before joining him in bed," says Seto, "Then I got out of bed to take a shower. He was awake when I came out. I think he suspects what he did. He questioned me vaguely, and I told him that I left the bed once he started his dream with Yami. I don't want to guilt trip him."

"If Jou asks you if he had sex with you, don't lie to him," says Yugi, "Tell him the truth… that he was asleep and you were half-asleep so you thought it was a dream."

Seto nods.

"Jou would never forgive you for lying blatantly to his face," explains Yugi.

"Yugi, you need to talk to Jou and see if he remembers any of this," says Ryou, "and find out what happened in his dream. Seto, are you two going clubbing this weekend?"

"We planned to, but he doesn't feel like it under the circumstances," says Seto, "So he's sending Seto out with a note for Yami to explain the situation to him. I told Jou that all his friends could spend the night at the mansion, and we'd all travel to the funeral together."

"If he doesn't invite us over, and if he remembers last night at all, he won't… then I think Yami should go by the mansion and just change the date into a movie or cuddling or something," says Ryou.

"Hadn't you planned to walk around the park and have dinner there?" asks Yugi.

"Yes."

"That would be perfect!" exclaims Ryou.

"Invite Jou to join you for an all night walk around the park," says Yugi smiling, "When you get tired, sit. There's food stands for when you get hungry and dark places for cuddling and making out!"

"And you can talk and really get to know each other!" exclaims Ryou grinning as well.

"Tonight could prove to be quite interesting then," says Seto smirking, "and with a bit of luck, after the Duel Monster's Expo, Jou will be sleeping in my bed on a more permanent basis."

"And to think, Jou didn't want me scheming to get you two together!" exclaims Ryou, "But he'll be happy if we do!"


	7. Chapter 7

Love Shack

Love Shack

By

Hideki LaShae

Chapter Seven

I climb out of the limo and wave to Yugi as he walks towards the Kame Game Shop with his bag of schoolbooks.

"Jou!" Yugi smiles and runs up to me. "How are you feeling?"

"I need a milkshake."

Yugi's smile fades away, and he nods. "Come on in."

"Make it a double… extra chocolate too," I say taking his bag from him, "I'll take this to your room."

"Okay," says Yugi, "I'll be up in a few minutes. We'll talk in my room."

I nod and head upstairs while Yugi goes into the kitchen. I put Yugi's bag on his desk and collapse on his bed. I don't wait long for Yugi to bring up an extra tall glass containing my frothy milkshake.

"Here you go, Jou," says Yugi passing me the glass and sitting beside me, "Talk whenever you're ready."

"I'm confused about who I love," I say before taking a long drink of my milkshake. "If you truly love one person, you wouldn't be having sex dreams about another, would you?"

"I don't know. I've only ever had dreams about my Yami," says Yugi blushing.

I drink for a long moment before saying, "I had a dream about Seto last night. It started out with my Yami, but he wouldn't screw me even though I was begging him to. Then he morphed into Seto, and Seto was more than willing to screw me into the next century. He was so determined to give me as much pleasure as I could handle, but every touch was gentle and loving… even his fingers inside stretching me. I didn't feel a single bit of pain when he penetrated me, and I should have! His cock's huge!"

"Don't you mean that dream Seto's cock is huge?" asks Yugi as I blush beet red.

"I mean both, I think," I say, "I don't know for certain, but I think I raped Seto while I had the dream last night. I couldn't find my pajamas so I went to bed naked, and I couldn't sleep so I went to bed with Seto. He sleeps naked… He was limping this morning. There was some blood on the sheets, and my hand was covered with come that I'm not sure is mine!"

Yugi's eyes widen. "Did you ask him?"

"Sort of… He dodged the question," I say, "I don't blame him. I wouldn't admit to being raped by a guy either."

"Maybe he was half-asleep and thought it was a dream," says Yugi.

I finish my milkshake quickly. "Do you think it means I don't love Yami?"

"I don't know what it means, but it could be that you're still uncertain about the difference between love and lust or that just maybe you're in love with Seto and think you love Yami because he shares some qualities with Seto," says Yugi rapidly, "Or maybe you want Seto to be Yami so you can love them both. I don't know! Do I look like a dream therapist to you?"

I blink at Yugi in shock. "I'm sorry. Your head isn't going to explode, is it?"

Yugi laughs.

"I'm over thinking everything, aren't I?" I ask laughing.

"Just go with the flow, Jou!" exclaims Yugi, "If you're meant to be with one of them, then it'll become clear in time."

"Thanks, Yugi! You're the best!" I exclaim, "I'm going to go home now. I'll see you tomorrow at the funeral, right?"

"Of course. I'll be there," says Yugi, "If you need anything…"

"I won't hesitate to ask." I pat Yugi on the shoulder lightly before heading down the stairs with my empty glass. I take my glass into the kitchen and rinse it thoroughly before leaving it beside the blender. I head out to the waiting limo to return to the mansion.

Once I arrive at the mansion, I head upstairs to write my letter to Yami in my room.

* * *

I knock lightly on the door to Seto's bedroom.

"Come in."

I open the door in time to see Seto pulling on a white dress shirt and starting to button it. "Well don't you look all professional!"

Seto turns to look at me, and he smiles. "I have a dinner meeting with a very important executive of another company. The restaurant has a jacket and tie policy. I have to leave soon in order to give Yami your message before I go to the restaurant."

"Yeah. I wrote the letter for him," I say holding up a sheet of paper neatly folded in my hand.

Seto walks up to me and takes both my hands with his. His blue eyes stare straight through my own brown eyes to see into my soul. "Are you going to be okay here alone?"

"I won't be alone. I'll have Mokuba…"

"Yeah…" Seto pulls me up against his chest and wraps his strong arms around me.

I feel safe. Nothing could hurt me while I'm protected by my Blue-Eyes White Dragon's embrace… Um, wait a minute… Did I just call Seto 'my Blue-Eyes White Dragon'? Yami's my Blue-Eyes! Not Seto…

Seto slowly releases me and takes the letter from my hands. "I'll give this letter to Yami."

"Thank you."

Seto grabs his sapphire blue and white striped tie and wraps it around his neck before starting to tie it.

"You look handsome."

"I'm glad you approve. Thank you," says Seto with a light blush to his cheeks.

"Is this executive a female? You look like you want to impress them."

"Are you jealous?"

I shake my head quickly.

"Anyway, there's nothing to be jealous about. I am going to meet a woman, but it's not a date," says Seto, "After all, I much prefer the company of handsome men in my bed." He flashes me a meaningful smile as he pulls on his jacket. "I'll go meet Yami and give him your message. Don't wait up for me. If this meeting goes well, I'll stop by the office afterwards."

"Okay," I say, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Of course," says Seto taking my letter with him when he leaves the room. At least his limp seems a bit better. He heads out to the garage and uncovers the car he uses as Yami, and he drives away from the mansion. He goes to the Kaiba Corp building and heads up to his office with a change of clothes in a duffle bag. He drops the bag to the floor and flops down on his couch to read the letter I gave him.

'Dear Yami, I'm sorry that I'm not there to tell you this myself, but a lot has happened since I've seen you last. First off, my father died… on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, I moved into the mansion with the Kaiba brothers. Mokuba's a long-time friend of mine, and Seto is a close friend even if we do get on each other's nerves more often than not. He's been very helpful to me with coping and stuff. I know I told you that he's an ass, but he's getting better. He's really starting to grow on me, which is nice since I'm living with him now… I'm sure he's told you that I don't feel like clubbing this weekend, but I do want to see you. The funeral is tomorrow at noon. Can you come? Please? Call me. Hikari.' A phone number scrolls across the bottom of the paper.

Seto changes his clothes quickly in his office bathroom and goes through his transformation into Yami.

* * *

Mokuba snatches up the ringing phone. "Kaiba."

I glance over at the young brunet.

"Jou, do you know someone called Yami Yinyang?" asks Mokuba looking over at me curiously.

"Yeah. He's my boyfriend."

"Okay, he's cool. Let him in," says Mokuba into the phone. He lowers the phone back down into the cradle.

I blink at Mokuba curiously.

"Shouldn't you be on your way to the front door to let him in?" asks Mokuba.

"You mean… he's here?" I ask jumping to my feet.

Mokuba nods. "That was security. They just let him in the gate. He should be ringing the doorbell anytime now."

I run towards the front door just as the sound of chimes echoes through the mansion. I slam into the door and swing it open to see you standing there.

You're wearing your tightest, black leather pants and a muscle-bearing blue net tank top beneath your leather jacket. You hold out a bouquet of multi-colored roses towards me. "I've missed you, Hikari."

I throw my arms around your neck and kiss you quickly. "I've missed you too, Yami!"

"May I come in?" you ask smiling at me.

I blush. I release you and step back. "Yes. I'm sorry. Come on in."

"We should get these flowers in water," you say coming inside and closing the door behind you.

"Right! I have a vase in my room!" I exclaim, "Follow me!"

You place your hand on the small of my back as I lead you up to my bedroom.

I grab my great, great grandmother's vase from the top of my dresser and lead you into the bathroom so we can tend to the flowers together.

"You have a nice room," you say as I start to trim the flowers and place them in the vase.

"Thanks. I like it! Seto's been very good to me," I say smiling, "So I see he gave you my message or else you wouldn't be here. I'm glad to see you, but I'm not in the mood for the Love Shack tonight."

"I know. I understand, but I wanted to see you. I wanted to hold you and kiss you," you say, "and give you the flowers I bought for you. We had planned to walk around the park and eat dinner. Do you suppose you might be up to that part of our date?"

I place the last flower in the vase and turn to kiss you.

"We could just walk around the park all night and then have breakfast at Tiffany's. I'm afraid I can't go to the funeral. I have to work tomorrow," you say, "and I can't call in sick."

"Oh. I understand," I say, "At least we can have tonight." I carry the vase back out to my dresser. "Although I should shower and change first. I don't suppose I could convince you to shower with me, huh?"

"How about a leisurely bath instead?" you suggest, "Your tub is big enough we could both stretch out inside and relax."

"I'll grab some clothes to change into if you'll start the water."

"Fine," you say returning to the bathroom.

I head into my closet and grab my white jeans, Blue-Eyes t-shirt, and a long-sleeved, blue t-shirt. I carry my clothes into the bathroom to see you, sans jacket, testing the water temperature. "You look so hot!"

You turn to look at me and smirk just like Seto. "If you think I look good now, just wait until you have me naked in your bathtub!"

My jeans suddenly feel way too tight in the crotch region. "Well then let's get you undressed and into the water!"

You stand up and face me. You smile. "You help me and I'll help you."

I step into your open arms and work to rapidly undress you. I smile when I see your arousal come free from your pants.

You step out of your shoes and pants. "Now your turn."

"Yami?" I ask standing up, "I really want you. I love you, Yami! Will you please make love to me tonight?"

"Hikari… under the circumstances with your father and everything, do you think that's really a good idea?" you ask. You start helping me out of my clothing.

"I really want to make love with you, Yami… Please!"

"I'm not sure if we're ready for that step, Hikari…"

"I am. I love you!"

You pull me into a kiss as you lower the zipper on my jeans. You kneel down in front of me and pull my jeans and underwear down. "I love you too, Jou, my wonderful Hikari!"

I gasp as your mouth descends onto my erect penis as you finish removing my pants. "Oh, yes! Yami! Suck me!"

You pull away. "Let's finish this in the tub."

I'm all too eager to get into the filled tub and lie down spread eagle.

You climb into the tub with me and settle yourself between my spread legs.

"Take me, Yami… I'm all yours!"

"Have you ever been taken before?" you ask.

"Only in my dreams, but I'm ready to make them a reality!" I exclaim, "Stick your fingers up my ass! Make me ready for that big cock of yours!"

"No."

I whimper in disappointment.

"If we're going to do this, we'll do it my way," you say, "I've been taken once before. I'll still be able to walk tomorrow if you take me tonight. I can't say the same about you, and you'll need to be able to stand and walk…"

My eyes widen, and my heart fills with joy. "You'll let me take you? Oh, Yami!"

"I'm perfectly willing to bottom for the right person, Jou."

I pull you down to lie on top of me, and I kiss you soundly on the lips. "I love you!"

"I love you, Jou…"

"Do we want to do this here or in bed?"

"Do you have lube?"

"Uh… no…"

"Then we'll do it here. I found some bath oil that I put in the water. It should make for a slightly easier ride for you," you say grabbing my waist and rolling us over, "The oil's in the blue bottle if you want to apply some directly to yourself."

My cock throbs in anticipation as I grab up the bottle and pour some oil onto my hand. "I'll try to make this painless."

"I trust you, Hikari."

I kiss you deeply as my fingers slide down to caress and gently probe your hidden opening.

"Slide it in," you whisper into my ear.

I slowly push my finger past your muscle's initial resistance and into your hot body. "How does it feel?"

"It feels good. Can you go a little deeper?"

I push my finger in as far as it will go.

"Good. That feels really good," you say, "I think I'm ready for more… one more finger!"

"Okay," I whisper pulling my finger out and slowly pushing two fingers back inside until they are fully sheathed by your tight passageway.

You moan slightly.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little, but I'll get used to it," you say, "You need to stretch me further. You have to find my prostate. If you do, it'll make the pain go away…"

"Okay." I proceed to kiss your face as I scissor my fingers inside you and try to locate your prostate. I brush against something, and you jerk.

"Do that again! Do it again! Please!"

I brush my fingers against that spot again.

"Oh, yes!"

"I guess I found it!"

"Oh don't be so smug, Jou! You knew where to find it all along, didn't you?"

"I had an idea where to look," I say blushing, "After all, I've done this much to myself before."

"Quickly, Jou. I'm so close to being ready for you," you say, "Hurry and finish preparing me! I need you inside me! I love you, Jou! Make love to me!" You hand finds my cock and starts stroking it.

"Oh, Gods! Yami!" I exclaim as a wave of pleasure courses through me. I slide a third finger inside you and try to stretch you as much as possible while still keeping your prostate stimulated.

"Now, Jou! Take me now!"

I pull my fingers out, and you help me guide my cock to your entrance. I slowly thrust in, moving only an inch at a time as I push into you. "Am I going too fast?"

"No… Faster, please. I want… I need… more!"

I thrust my hips faster, finally plunging the rest of the way inside.

"I've never felt so full before," you say.

"You feel wonderful!" we both say at the same time.

I kiss you, and I start thrusting in and out of your tight anal passage. I grab your erection and stroke it in time with my thrusts.

You squirm beneath me for a moment before pushing me out of the kiss to cry out in bliss. "There! Keep up that angle! Faster! Harder! Please, puppy!"

"Faster!" I exclaim moving as you bid, "Harder! You want it, dragon, you got it!"

The water splashes around us as we join our hearts and bodies as one.

"I love you!"

"Love you!" I exclaim stroking the head of your cock.

You pull me into a kiss as your seed spurts out of your quivering member, and your muscles pulsate around my dick in your ass.

I moan in pleasure as I shoot my load up your ass.

"Damn! That was great!" You pant heavily as your hands stroke every inch of my body. "I could certainly do that again!"

"Not right this second though," I say slowly pulling out of your body, "You'll need to be able to walk tomorrow."

"Let's get cleaned up and go out to dinner," you say.

I nod. "I am getting hungry."

You grab the soap and start to scrub my body. "Why tonight? Why did you decide to tell me you love me tonight? Why did you want to make love to me so badly? I thought we wanted to take it slow."

"I just couldn't keep it in anymore," I say, "I've been waiting to tell you for awhile now, but I thought it might be too soon before. I just had to tell you now."

"I don't mind of course. I had just hoped it would have been during a more romantic setting," you say as you finish washing me.

"Yeah. I had hoped for that too," I say blushing. I watch you wash yourself in record time as I rinse the soap from my body. I climb from the tub and grab towels for us both.

You stand and take a towel from me.

We dress in a companionable silence, and we head downstairs.

I peek my head into the living room. "Mokuba, I'm going out. If you get lonely, call Yugi, okay?"

Mokuba looks over at me. He smiles. "Honestly, Jou! A long-sleeved tee beneath a short-sleeved one?"

"Be sure to eat a healthy dinner!" I exclaim grabbing your hand and pulling you to the entranceway. I slip my shoes on and grab my leather jacket from the coat closet before we leave.

You drive us to the park while I tell you about the contaminated rice ball incident and how I blamed Seto.

"So, as a way to apologize, he invited me to go to the Duel Monsters Expo with him," I say, "It's a great opportunity so I said I'd go.'

"You and Kaiba Seto at the DM Expo. It isn't a date, is it?" you ask.

"Seto knows I'm dating you," I say, "It's not a date."

"What if he wants it to be?"

"I'll punch him!"

You park the car, and we climb out. We start walking along a path that will lead us into the heart of the park.

"Hikari, is something bothering you? You seem… different… distant somehow. Are you all right? We don't have to do this if you're not up to it," you say wrapping your arm around my waist.

"Let's sit down," I say guiding you over to a secluded bench.

You sit down beside me.

"I couldn't find my pajamas when I was unpacking my stuff last night, so I went to bed naked," I say.

You nod and hold my hand gently.

"I couldn't sleep though, and I went into Seto's room. I asked him if I could sleep with him. Sometimes I just sleep better when someone else if beside me," I continue, "He said okay, and I climbed into bed. He sleeps in the buff so we were both nude. I fell asleep almost immediately."

You sit in silence and wait for me to keep speaking. You stroke my hand with your fingertips.

"I had a dream…"

"What kind of dream?"

"An erotic one."

"I'm jealous. You were naked, in bed with another man, and having erotic dreams," you say with a sigh, "I'm jealous of him."

I blush. "I was lying on a bed in a room I don't recognize. I think it was your room. That was the feeling I got from the dream. I was naked and stroking myself. You were standing in the doorway and watching me. It was kind of exciting to be watched while I tried to please myself."

"So you like to be watched? I'll have to remember that." You smile.

"But no matter what I did in the dream, I wouldn't come. I asked you to help me come. You just smirked at me, and then you started to change. You became Seto. I asked Seto to help me," I say looking down at my lap, "He walked over to the side of the bed, and his clothes vanished. He got in bed with me and started preparing to take me."

"Damn lucky bastard," you mumble.

"And I asked him to do things…"

"What kind of things?"

"I asked him to call me his puppy…"

"He calls you a mutt so you ask him to call you a puppy?" You raise an eyebrow.

I nod. "We said we love each other and then we came together. My dream self went to sleep while he cleaned me up. But then when I really did wake up, he wasn't in bed. There was blood and semen on the sheets and my hand, and Seto had a limp when he came out of the bathroom."

"Really?"

"I think I raped him as I slept."

"You would think you would have woken up during it at some point then. Did he say anything to you about it?"

"No." I shake my head.

"Then maybe you didn't rape him. It's possible that the blood was from injury he had, maybe a scratch from a garden plant. It is also possible that he slipped in the shower and that caused his limp," you say, "If you're bothered by what you think happened then ask him about it. Just come out and ask him directly."

"You're not upset that I might have slept with him?"

"No. We don't know if that's what really happened. What I'm more concerned with is your dream, Hikari." You sigh. "Do you love Seto?"

"No."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes!"

"Do you know the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone?" you ask.

"Aren't they the same thing?" I ask.

"Let's walk, and I'll explain," you say standing.

I stand up, and we walk to a vendor's cart to get food to eat while we talk.

We walk off into the park.

"There are many ways to love someone. You love your sister. You love your friend, Yugi. You love me," you say, "Familial love… The love given to a family member. Platonic love… the love given to a friend. Then there's the type of love you give to that one special person. That is what it means to be in love. You can love many people at the same time, but you can only be in love with one person at a time."

"I'm not sure," I say as I finish my food.

"About?"

"I'm not sure about my feelings. Not my feelings for you or for Seto. Two weeks ago, I would have told you I was in love with you and I didn't like Seto," I say stopping on the bridge that crosses the small pond, "but now I'm not sure. If I truly were in love with you, then why would you have become Seto in my dream? And if I'm in love with Seto, then why do I think I'm in love with you?"

"The heart is a mysterious thing. I understand what you're going through. I went through the same thing recently," you say, "I wish I could help you unravel your feelings so that you'd know who you truly love, but it's something you must do on your own."

"I kind of figured that."

"What confuses you more? Your feelings for me or for Seto?"

"Definitely Seto. I know I love you. I have no clue how I feel about him," I say honestly.

"I think I know what we must do then. I'll tell you about it over breakfast, but until then… let's continue to walk and talk. We'll leave this subject alone for now and talk of other things…"

"Okay. So how about we talk about… books? Have you read anything interesting lately?" I ask.

You smile. "Actually, I have. I've been reading the works of an American author recently. Her name is K. Summers…"

* * *

"I know this sounds cruel, Jou…"

"Cruel? It's torture!"

You grab my face with both hands. "I'm sorry, Jou, but you need to know how you feel about Seto. Having me around could only get in the way of that. If you are truly in love with me, then this time apart will only make your heart grow fonder for me."

"So I can't see you at all until after the DM Expo?" Tears fill my eyes.

"No. You'll spend the time from now until then getting to know him and figuring out your heart…"

"What if he thinks it's a date and tries to kiss me?"

"Let him. You can always punch him for it later if you don't like it!"

I smile.

"I just want you to be sure. If you're in love with me, you'll still be in love with me after a few weeks apart. Until then, you can play the field a little and date other people. And you will go to the Expo with Seto, and you will have fun," you say leaning towards me so that our lips brush against each other's, "I will be waiting for you at the Love Shack the night the Expo ends. Come to me then and tell me who you love most."

"I will." I kiss your lips. "I'll see you in a few weeks on Saturday then."

"I will miss you, and I'll be thinking about you, Jou," you say, "I love you more than you know. You know the truth. You just have to fit the pieces together to see the big picture." You kiss me long and slow. "Come on. I'll drive you home now."

I stand up from my chair as my tears flow down my cheeks.

"This isn't good-bye, Hikari. It's until we meet again," you say wrapping both our jackets around my shoulders.

"I know, but it still hurts."

We walk out to the car, and you drive me back to the mansion.

"I'll walk the rest of the way from here," I say climbing out at the gate, "Thanks for last night."

"I enjoyed it," you say before I close the door. You wait to see me get in the gate before you drive away.

I hear the TV on in the living room so I walk towards the sound. I step into the room and see Mokuba, covered in a blanket, sleeping across the laps of Yugi and Ryou who lean against each other and sleep. I smile. I pull the blankets further over them before I head up to my room to sleep a little before I need to get up.

* * *

I'm surprised at the number of my classmates who show up at the funeral as well as some of my dueling friends that I didn't even think would know about my father's death. I turn to my left after assuring Mai that I'll be all right, and I look at Seto standing beside me and looking back at me.

"Are you getting tired? Do you need something to drink?" asks Seto.

"Thank you." I grab Seto's arm.

Seto pulls me into his chest and wraps his arms around me. He holds me gently as I start to cry, and he whispers into my ear, "I'm here for you, Jou."

"Thank you." I snuggle further into Seto's embrace and cry myself to sleep. I wake some time later in the warmth of your arms, and I mumble, "Love you."

"Time to wake up, Jou," says Seto brushing my hair from my eyes.

I look up into cool pools of blue, and I smile. "I like blue eyes…"

Seto smiles.

"If you're awake now, Jou, we can get out of the car," says Ryou giggling, "Unless you would prefer us to leave you two alone in here!"

I blink a few times before looking around. I find myself sitting in Seto's lap and cradled by his arms with Yugi, Ryou, and Mokuba on the seat opposite us and giggling. "Where am I?"

"In the back of the limo, silly!" exclaims Mokuba, "Yugi mentioned how much you love milkshakes when you're upset or stressed so we decided to get some on the way home!"

"Oh."

"Are you feeling okay, Jou?" asks Yugi.

"No." I shake my head. "My whole life is falling apart!" I bury my face in Seto's chest as I start to cry again.

Yugi's eyes widen. "This will require more than just a shake."

"So what do we do?" asks Ryou looking over at my shaking form.

"We need to go back to the mansion. Everything we need should be there… Hamburgers, fries, milkshake, uplifting music, and a picture of Shizuka," explains Yugi.

"Hold me closer, Seto," I whisper into your ear.

Seto tightens his grip on me and pulls me further into his lap. "What can I do to help you, Jou?"

"Hold me, Seto. Just hold me and don't let me go…" I wrap my arms tightly around Seto's neck. "I don't want to be left alone again…"

"No one's leaving you, Jou," says Ryou.

"Everyone I love leaves me. Everyone…"

"Did something happen with Yami last?" asks Mokuba narrowing his eyes.

"We're taking a time out on our relationship," I say before I start sobbing again into Seto's shoulder.

"Everything will work out, Jou," whispers Seto, "Don't cry, Hikari. Your smile suits you better."

I smile at the sound of your voice, and I relax into your arms. I feel the limo pull to a stop, but I don't move from Seto's lap.

"Do you want to go inside?" asks Yugi climbing out of the limo.

I slide from Seto's lap and climb out of the limo.

Seto steps out and places his hand on the small of my back as we head inside.

"I need to talk to you alone once everyone's gone," I whisper into Seto's ear.

"All right," whispers Seto, "Tonight…"

"Now, I think I was promised chocolate!" I exclaim smiling at Yugi and Ryou.


	8. Chapter 8

Love Shack

Love Shack

By

Hideki LaShae

Chapter Eight

I knock gently on the door to Seto's room.

"Come in."

I open the door and step inside. I close the door.

Seto looks up at me from where he sits on his bed reading a book. He smiles. "Nice pajamas. Are they new?"

I blush as I look down at my Red-Eyes Black Dragon t-shirt and Blue-Eyes White Dragon lounge pants. "Yes. They are new. I couldn't find my old pajamas, so Mokuba and I picked this up when we went shopping."

"I see." Seto closes the book and sets it on the nightstand.

I walk up beside the bed and look at the book. "K. Summers? I've heard good things about her work. Is it interesting?"

"Very actually. Would you like to read some?"

"Yeah." I smile and sit down beside Seto.

"What's on your mind, Jou?"

I sigh. "I have to know."

Seto raises an eyebrow.

"The other night when I slept in here with you," I say. My chest clenches. I don't want to know. "Did I rape you?"

Seto looks directly into my eyes. "No. You didn't. If anyone was raped, it was you."

"Huh?"

"You were asleep. You were dreaming. You didn't know what you were doing," says Seto, "I tried to wake you, but I didn't try hard enough. You said that you love me, and I wanted that to be true so much that I would allow you to have your way with me." He takes a deep breath. "You did take my virginity then, Jou, but I won't see it as rape. For my part, it was consensual."

"You were a virgin?"

"Yes."

"Why would you want me to love you? Why would you let me have your virginity?" I crumple my eyebrows as I look at you with desperate confusion. "Help me understand, Seto!"

"Isn't it obvious, Jou? I'm in love with you," says Seto.

My eyes widen, and I fall off the bed.

"Jou! Are you okay?" Seto gets up and helps me back onto his bed, this time in a lying down position.

"That was scary, but I'm not hurt," I say.

"When we first met, I thought you were stupid, and you got on my nerves a lot. It also didn't help that you seem to be excessively clumsy around me… rather like a puppy that hasn't grown into its paws yet," says Seto, "That's why I started calling you the dog names. I continued because of the fiery reaction I got in return."

"So you like torturing me?"

"No! I like fighting with you! You're so passionate when you fight with me, and you get flustered so easily! And that appeals to me on so many levels," says Seto, "It has taken me such a long time to realize that your beauty and complexity arouse me. You surprise me, Jou. Not only are you beautiful, but also you are devoted, confident, and courageous. I've seen you walk straight into dangerous situations and come out unscathed. And you are much more intelligent than I initially thought. I admire you. I respect you. It's taken me time to finally admit all of this to myself and now to you. I'm in love with you, Jou!"

"You're in love with me?" I ask.

"Yes. Do you know what I mean by that? You are the one special person I wish I could spend my life with."

"Seto… how can you go from hating me to wanting to build a life with me?"

"I never hated you. You annoyed me, and I didn't handle that annoyance well. I've cared for you for so long, but I would always throw it up to concern or hormones or simple confusion…"

"You've never hated me?"

"Never!"

"I've never hated you."

Seto leans forward quickly and kisses my forehead. "For now that is all I can hope for."

I wrap my arms around you in a warm embrace. "Now, since I'm already in bed, do you mind if I sleep in here with you?"

"One condition."

"What's that?"

"You sleep under the comforter only. It won't do to have you jumping me in your sleep again," says Seto smiling.

"Deal!" I pull the comforter down and crawl in between it and the rest of the blankets.

"The next time we make love, I want it to be completely consensual for the both of us," says Seto, "Go ahead and fall asleep if you can. I'll join you in a moment."

I cuddle in the blanket and close my eyes. I hear Seto go into the bathroom.

Seto comes out of the bathroom wearing his bathrobe. He turns the lights down so they cast a dim light around the room before he sheds the robe and climbs beneath all the blankets naked. He slides close to me and wraps his arms around me. "Sleep well, Jou."

I rest my head on Seto's shoulder and let sleep come now that I'm safe.

* * *

I spend a lot of time with Seto over the next weeks. I keep seeing little flashes of Yami in him. We ride to school together every day after we drop Mokuba off at his school, and we sit side by side at lunch. I eat the wonderful bento that Seto always makes for me and then I finish his because he doesn't eat much.

After school, I walk to the Kame Game Shop with all my friends, and the limo picks me up after Mokuba's soccer practice so that the two of us can go together to the Kaiba Corp building and drag Seto home for dinner. After dinner, we all watch a movie or play a game together… of course that's after we all do our homework together. Seto's a wonderful teacher. I understand math a lot better now. I still crawl into his bed most nights, and he holds me while I sleep.

I know why Yami wanted me to get to know Seto better. Seto is Yami in so many ways. I love them both, but I don't know who I'm in love with. I haven't spoken to Yami since that morning, and Seto hasn't told me he loves me again. I can see that he still does though. He just doesn't want to pressure me… I'm more confused about my feelings than ever!

I walk into Seto's room without knocking. I freeze when I see him standing there with his shirt off, caught in the act of changing, but that isn't what's made me catch my breath.

On the bicep of Seto's left arm, a Blue-Eyes White Dragon twists around a Red-Eyes Black Dragon in a classic yin-yang pose.

I know that tattoo! Yami!

"Jou?"

I snap back to reality. "I just noticed your tattoo. It's so beautiful! Yami has one just like it."

"Not exactly. This tattoo is one of a kind. I designed it personally," says Seto.

"That can't be!" I know that tattoo. I've stared at it for hours! It's the exact same as Yami's, even down to the tiny gem-like eggs that border it! That's Yami's tattoo…

"Are you saying I couldn't design a tattoo?" Seto glares at me.

"Huh? Oh, no. I meant that tattoo is the exact same as Yami's," I say walking up to Seto and feeling his arm. "The eggs… the loving look in the blue eyes… the loyal expression on the black face… the submissiveness in the drooping black tail… the possessiveness of the white… These two dragons aren't sure whether they want to engage in an aerial battle or aerial sex!"

Seto's eyes soften, and he blushes. "I've never seen it that way before."

"You should have. These dragons are desperately in love with each other!"

Seto pulls me into a warm embrace. "Thank you."

I wrap my arms around Seto and hold him close to me. "You're welcome, Seto…"

"Now what did you come in here for?" Seto pulls away and smiles at me.

I pull the two tickets for the Duel Monsters Expo from my pocket. "The Expo is this weekend! We're still going, aren't we?"

"Of course, we're going! I wouldn't miss this for the world!" exclaims Seto.

"Great!" I exclaim, "I think you should wear something sleeveless so people can see that cool tattoo of yours!"

"Only if you wear the Blue-Eyes t-shirt."

"Already planned on it! White jeans, Blue-Eyes White Dragon t-shirt, and my Red-Eyes Black Dragon leather jacket!" I smile. "Speaking of which, have you noticed any new additions to your wardrobe?"

"No…"

I rush to Seto's closet and dive into it. I come out wearing a sleeveless white trench coat in a style very typical for the brunet's tastes.

"My coat?"

"This is a new one," I say turning so you can see the back.

Seto chuckles. "A Blue-Eyes on the back!"

"Yep! This is white leather, by the way. Deer-hide so it's very soft," I say taking the coat off, "I had it custom made for you. I hope it fits."

"I'm sure it will fit great." You walk up to me and take the coat to slip it on over your bare chest. "Perfect fit."

"Beautiful," I whisper touching you chest lightly, "You're so strong."

"All the better to sweep you off your feet," you whisper.

All the color rushes to my cheeks.

"So… aside from your coat, you'll be dressed like a Blue-Eyes, right?" asks Seto with a small smirk just barely twisting his lips.

"Yeah, I am," I say, "I'll be wearing both of our favorite dragons."

"I think I will do the same. You don't happen to have a muscle shirt with a Red-Eyes on it that I could borrow, do you?" asks Seto, "Something I could wear black jeans with, perhaps…"

"Wait right here!" I exclaim rushing from the room. I burst through the door into my room and yank open the top drawer of my dresser. I pull out a shimmering white muscle tee with the Red-Eyes Black Dragon in defensive position on the chest. The tee fits me well enough, but on Seto it should show off every muscle he has. I hurry back to Seto's room and hold up the shirt for him to see. "This would look perfect on you!"

Seto takes off his coat and grabs the shirt to pull it on.

I was right. He might as well be naked. The shirt fits him like a glove. "Beautiful…"

Seto smiles. "I'm glad you approve."

I can't help but blush as I look into your eyes and smile. "Yeah. I do."

"We'll leave right after breakfast on Friday, and we'll be spending the night in a hotel in Tokyo so pack an overnight bag. I've already made the arrangements with Yugi's grandfather so they'll be staying with us in the hotel," says Seto.

I hug Seto quickly. "Thank you, Seto!"

"I know it means a lot to you…" Seto returns my embrace. "… To have all your friends close."

"Including you," I say cuddling further into your arms. My heart swells with joy as I relax against you. It feels like you were built just to hold me like this… like we were meant to be…

* * *

I wake up with a kiss on my cheek. I open my eyes and look up at Seto. I can't help but smile at the look on his face.

"I see you no longer think you need to ask about sleeping with me," says Seto, "Did you have trouble sleeping last night?"

"Yeah. I was so excited that I couldn't fall asleep. You seemed to have no such problems so I thought I could absorb some of your calmness to go to sleep," I say sitting up, "It worked. I fell right to sleep."

"It worked in reverse too."

Our faces are only inches apart. It wouldn't take but a slight movement for our lips to be touching, but I won't be the one to move either way.

"Reverse?"

"I woke up two hours ago, and I was too excited to go back to sleep," says Seto smiling, "So I've picked outfits for us both to wear to the opening ceremony to the Expo. We'll save your dragon idea for Saturday. I do need to look professional today."

"Okay! Let's get dressed and go have breakfast then!"

Seto licks his lips slowly before pulling away from me and standing.

I push the blankets off and stand up. "I still need to pack my overnight bag anyway. I am wearing my pajamas after all."

"Should I show you your outfit first or mine?" you ask with a smile.

"Just give me my clothes. I'll go get dressed and then we can admire how the other looks over breakfast!"

Seto nods and he steps into his closet. He comes back out with a garment bad and a small suitcase. "Here. You can put the clothes you're taking in the suitcase."

"Thank you!" I exclaim grabbing both items from Seto and kissing your cheek before running out of the room. I duck into my bedroom and swing the door mostly closed. I toss everything on my bed and grab three clean pairs of underwear and socks that I put in the suitcase and an extra set to wear today. I pack my outfit for tomorrow before pulling off my pajamas and folding them to put in the suitcase. I take my clean underwear into the bathroom so I can shower, brush my teeth and hair and do my morning rituals. I wrap my toiletries in a hand-towel before placing them in my suitcase and closing it. Then I proceed to get dressed.

* * *

"You make a very cute Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Jou!" exclaims Mokuba when he notices me enter the dining room.

I blush. "Thank you. I love the colors, but I feel so silly… like I'm going to my own wedding or something!"

"It's a suit. Not a tux," says Mokuba, "Although you would look fetching getting married in that!" He smiles and whispers, "So long as it's to my brother…"

"Quit tormenting Jou, Mokuba," says Seto as he steps into the room behind me.

"Cool! A Blue-Eyes White Dragon suit!" exclaims Mokuba smiling. "You look very handsome together! Seto's the bride!"

Seto blushes. "Only for the right person…"

I wear black suit pants. Seto wears white. I wear a red button-down shirt that barely peeks out at the cuffs. Seto's button-down shirt is light, no, medium… wait, we'll just call it sky blue. I wear a diagonally striped crimson and burgundy tie. Seto wears a horizontally striped sapphire and navy blue tie. I wear a black suit jacket. Seto wears a white jacket. I have a crimson handkerchief in my left breast pocket, and Seto's handkerchief is sapphire blue. We both wear matching black dress shoes. We match the yin-yang tattoo inked into Seto's flesh.

"Have you noticed the other item?" asks Seto pulling a pair of sunglasses out of his inside breast pocket, and he slips them on. The frames themselves are sapphire blue, and the lenses are blue-tinted. "A lot of the Expo will be in outside booths, but a lot also happens indoors."

I reach into my pocket and pull out my sunglasses to put them on. My frames are red, and the lenses are also tinted red. "Hey, I'm looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses!"

Seto chuckles. He removes his glasses and puts them away before sitting down. "Are you all packed, Jou?"

"Yeah." I put my sunglasses away and sit down to eat. "I put my suitcase by the front door. Once we eat, I'm ready to go!"

"Good," says Seto with a smile. "Now remember, Mokuba. We're dropping you off at school and the limo will pick you up after so you can go to your friend's house for the sleepover."

"Could I bring them back here?" asks Mokuba.

"So long as it's okay with their family," says Seto.

"Thanks!" exclaims Mokuba, "You two have fun!"

We finish breakfast in record time and take the limo to Mokuba's school to drop him off before we go to the Kame Game Shop to collect Yugi and Grandpa Motou.

"Thank you for flying us to Tokyo with you," says Grandpa.

"No thanks necessary. The helicopter has enough room for all of us," says Seto. He places his arm over my shoulders, and I lean into him.

Grandpa smiles fondly. "Oh, I see…"

"See what?" I ask resting my head on Seto's shoulder.

"What is Kaiba Corp exhibiting this year?" asks Yugi quickly.

"An upgraded Duel Disc system, and we're unveiling the plans for a special Duelist's Academy where anyone with the talent to get in can get an education while also training to join the pro circuit. Only top duelists will be allowed in," says Seto, "but there's tests that anyone can take. If they score high enough on the written tasks and the practical Duel Monsters demonstration match, they get in."

"Wow! Can I get in?" I ask looking up at you hopefully, lovingly.

"No. You'll be too old by the time the academy is built. I'm just testing the market right now to see if there's interest," says Seto.

I lower my eyes forlornly.

"But I would love you to be a guest speaker or part-time instructor or something if we do build the school," you say.

"Really?" I ask hopefully again as I look into Seto's eyes once more.

Seto caresses my cheek and smiles. "There will be a place for you if you want it…"

"I want! I want!" I practically throw myself into Seto's lap. My heart soars in excitement, and my body flushes from our close proximity to each other. I cuddle close to you, and before I know what's happened, we've stepped out of the hotel's courtesy car in front of the convention center where the Expo is just getting under way. I look around and see a lot of familiar faces.

"I'm scheduled to give a speech about the school at noon," says Seto, "but after that I'm free to go wherever you want to, Jou."

"What time is it now? I don't have a watch," I say.

"Just past ten," says Seto looking at his wrist, "I have to be ready for the speech fifteen minutes early, so we have a little time before that to explore."

"I want to see your Duel Disc sometime," I say.

"You have your deck, right?"

"Of course!"

"Will you give a demonstration on my new Duel Disc? You versus the computer?" asks Seto.

My lips widen into a huge grin. "Yeah!"

"Come on then. We have to go talk to Pegasus!" exclaims Seto, "He's here to promote some of the new card releases. Maybe we can borrow some to add to your deck for the demo! He might let you keep them!"

I grab Seto's hand. "Where is he?"

Seto squeezes my hand. "He has a conference room that he's turned into a card shop."

We walk quickly, hand-in-hand, into the convention center to find Pegasus Crawford.

"Kaiba-boy! Katsuya!" exclaims Pegasus as soon as we enter his card room. His eyes shoot down to our clasped hands, and his smile widens. "What can I help you with?"

"Jou is going to give a demonstration on the new Kaiba Corp Duel Disc, and so we're looking for any new cards that we could showcase too," says Seto.

Pegasus glances at our joined hands again. "I think I have one that he'd like…"

"What?" I sound excited even to my own ears.

Pegasus leads us over to a display case and pulls out a card that shows an ornate bottle filled with pink liquid. "I like your matching outfits. Very suiting for you."

"Thanks," I say, "I like them too!" I lean into Seto. "It was all Seto's idea though."

"This is the perfect card for your deck, Katsuya," says Pegasus, "When you have your Red-Eyes on the field and your opponent summons the Blue-Eyes, play this card."

"What's it called?" I ask.

"Love Potion #9." Pegasus smiles and hands me the card. "Take good care of it. I'll be watching to see you use it. If you use this card to win, it's yours."

"Oh, thank you! I'd hug you, but that would be too weird!"

"Hug Kaiba-boy. He's the one who brought you here after all," says Pegasus.

"Yeah!" I throw one arm around Seto's neck and tighten my grip on your hand, which I still hold. "Thank you, Seto!"

Seto wraps his other arm around my waist and clings to me longingly.

I slowly pull away, letting our touch linger. "What does this card do anyway?"

"What's it say?" asks Seto looking at the card in my hand.

"It's an Equip Magic Card. When played on an opponent's monster of the same type as one of yours, your opponent's monster falls in love with yours and will stand in front of your monster to protect it and eliminate any monster that tries to attack yours," says Pegasus.

"So if I played this against Seto's Blue-Eyes while I have my Red-Eyes on the field…?"

"The Blue-Eyes will fall in love with the Red-Eyes and effectively switch sides, but you don't have any control over it, Katsuya," explains Pegasus, "It would protect your Red-Eyes though. I'm really interested to see it in action. The Duel Monsters almost seem to have an A.I. when used with Kaiba Corp tech, and those dragons have a fierce rivalry… so it could be interesting."

I slip the card into the pocket where I have my deck, and I stay right beside Seto as we wile away the time looking at the newest cards.

We wind up rushing to get Seto to his platform in time for his speech, yet he still makes time to ensure my comfort and visibility.

"I'd like you to sit here, Jou," says Seto sending a quick glare to the man already sitting in the front row, center seat.

"Why can't I sit in the empty one right beside him?" I ask.

"Because I want to be able to see you no matter where I'm looking," you say honestly.

My heart fills with joy at the sound of those words.

"It's all right. I understand completely. I'll move over so the young man can sit here," says the man moving to the seat beside him.

"Thank you," says Seto bowing respectfully to the man, "Jou, please sit here. I have to get ready…"

"Okay." I sit down in the recently vacated seat before Seto moves away to get his diagrams, models, and slide show presentation ready for his speech.

"I think this is the first time I've ever seen that young man nervous to be giving a speech in front of a crowd," says the man beside me, "He must really care about your opinion of him."

I simply smile… for the man's sake and also during the entire presentation except for when I switch to more appropriate expressions of awe or immense joy.

Seto's eyes fall on me more often than not as he speaks. "Several current dueling champions have already expressed interest in being speakers or teachers of some manner. Thank you."

"Kaiba-sama! Which duelists want to teach?" calls a woman in the crowd.

"Kujaku Mai has already expressed interest in having a quarterly speaker position. I am in negotiations with Motou Yugi, and Jounouchi Katsuya has decided he would like to teach," says Seto, "Although nothing has been confirmed at this time, and all discussions will remain open until the school is built. Thank you all. Please enjoy the Expo." He walks away from his microphone despite the rapid questions, and he holds out his hand for me.

I take Seto's hand and let him lead me away. "Can I try your Duel Disc now?"

"Would you like lunch first?"

"No…"

"Let's tell Pegasus we're getting ready then," says Seto.

* * *

_Summoning Blue-Eyes White Dragon,_ says the computerized voice of my dueling opponent, _Attack Scapegoat token._

"Stop attack!" I exclaim activating my hidden trap card.

_Attack prevented. Battle phase ended. Turn ended._

I close my eyes and wish for the card I need. I draw from the stack of cards in my Duel Disc and look at it. I smile. "I play this card, Monster Reborn to bring back my Red-Eyes Black Dragon to the field."

With a brilliant display of light, my dragon appears in front of me thanks to the holographic projectors of the Duel Disc system.

"Next, I play this Equip Magic Card… Love Potion #9… on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Everyone waits with baited breath as the white dragon drinks the pink liquid from the bottle.

The Blue-Eyes looks at the Red-Eyes for a moment before flying up into the air with a roar, and my Red-Eyes roars in answer before flying up as well. The two dragons circle each other in what is either a prelude to a fight or a complicated mating ritual. After a moment, both dragons land in front of me. They nuzzle each other's head and turn their gazes to the emptiness of the other half of the field.

"Blue-Eyes, I know you won't listen to me, but please protect your chosen mate," I say, "Red-Eyes, attack his life points directly!"

The black dragon roars as it unleashes its attack.

"End turn," I say.

_Summoning second Blue-Eyes White Dragon_, says the computer, and another white dragon appears. _Destroy Red-Eyes Black Dragon._

I hold my breath as I see the computer's dragon shoot its blast towards my dragon, but the amorous Blue-Eyes steps in front and takes the brunt of the attack.

"Love Potion #9 gives the Blue-Eyes an additional 500 attack points in order to protect its mate!" exclaims Pegasus with a smile.

The amorous Blue-Eyes attacks and destroys the computer's dragon.

"Now, Red-Eyes! Take out the rest of its life points!" I exclaim, and my dragon obeys.

The Red-Eyes and Blue-Eyes nuzzle each other before their holograms fade.

I turn towards you and Pegasus with a smile, and I rush to hold you in my arms. "That card is so cool!"

"As promised, it is yours now, Katsuya," says Pegasus before walking away.

"Nice moves," says Seto. "I feel sorry for the dragons having so little time to enjoy their love."

"Me too."

"Let's not make the same mistake," whispers Seto caressing my cheek, and he smiles when I blush. "Now what would you like to do?"

"Now I'm ready to eat!"

Seto wraps his arm around my waist as we leave his demo area.

* * *

"Seto! Jou! Hurry up or we'll miss the fireworks!" exclaims Yugi running ahead of us, "Grandpa's already there! Come on!"

"You aren't cold in that sleeveless coat, are you, Seto?" I ask as I run alongside Seto. I wear white jeans, my Blue-Eyes White Dragon t-shirt and a long-sleeved black trench coat with the Red-Eyes Black Dragon on the back.

"If I get too cold, you'll wrap your arms around me to warm me, won't you?" asks Seto smirking as we run. He wears black jeans, a white Red-Eyes Black Dragon muscle tee, and a sleeveless white trench coat with a Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the back.

If we would switch coats, we'd be dressed like each other's namesake dragons. As is, we are a nice blending of the two… almost as if our dragons are mates… as if we are mates.

"Of course I'll keep you warm." I smile.

We hurry to the balcony where Grandpa Motou and Yugi are now reserving our standing room. Just as we arrive, the first explosion lights up the dark sky.

"Kuriboh!" exclaims Grandpa in awe at seeing the shape of the lights.

I stand beside Seto and wrap my arms around him to warm his chilly arms as we watch the Duel Monsters light the sky. "Oh, a Red-Eyes!"

"And a heart!" exclaims Yugi as the next firework goes off before the Red-Eyes can fade.

"A Blue-Eyes! It's a message. Red-Eyes loves Blue-Eyes," says Seto looking straight at me, "I wonder if this is because of your duel earlier."

"Doesn't matter. It's true anyway," I say looking back at you.

Seto touches my neck and licks his lips. "I won't do it if you don't want me to, but may I kiss you, Jou?"

My heart pounds in my chest. Yes! I want you to kiss me! I want you to… "I couldn't think of a more perfect time for you to kiss me."

Seto pulls me closer to him and lifts my chin as his lips descend towards my own. He presses his lips against mine lightly before backing off to wet my lips with his tongue.

I part my lips to give him better access, and when you lean back in, you kiss me longer… slipping your tongue through my lips and into my mouth. I cling to Seto as you explore my mouth. I love you… I know now… I realize… I'm in love with…

Seto pulls away slightly and places one final, chaste kiss to my lips.

"Oh, look! The grand finale!" exclaims Yugi.

I snuggle into Seto's arms as we watch the climactic battle of the Duel Monster fireworks.

"So cool…" I kiss your lips quickly. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"I wanted to share this experience with the person I'm in love with," says Seto.

"I know what you mean," I say.

"It's over now," says Yugi turning towards us as the sky starts to lighten.

"That was very impressive using the magic card Yami and your holographic projectors to make the afternoon dark enough for fireworks," says Grandpa, "Did you plan the fireworks as well?"

"That was Mokuba," says Seto, "He worked with the firework vendors. He helped plan the timing. It was all him, but he left a little leeway." He rubs my back. "So, do we want to eat now or on the ride home?"

"Can we eat in the helicopter on the way home? Ryou and I have a… well, it's not exactly a date…" Yugi lowers his eyes and blushes.

"It's okay, Yugi. I know exactly what you mean," I say moving from your arms to pull Yugi into a quick hug.

"I'll contact the hotel and have them make us a picnic dinner," says Seto pulling out his cell phone.

Grandpa, Yugi, and I talk about all the things we've seen while Seto makes his call. Then we all head back to the hotel with Seto holding my right hand and Yugi clutching my left.

* * *

"I need to pick up Mokuba so I can give you a ride to the Kame Game Shop," says Seto.

"Thank you," says Grandpa.

"I'll be going out," I say, "so I won't be home when you get back."

Seto nods. "We'll leave the limo for you."

"Thanks." I watch Seto, Yugi, and Grandpa head towards the garage before I take my bag inside and up to my room. I brush my teeth and my hair before I go down and call the limo driver.

It seems to take forever to get to the Love Shack, but finally, I'm standing in front of it.

"Wait here," I say to the driver, and I head inside the club. I pass by a darkened table with four figures huddled together. I walk straight towards our usual table and see you sitting there with your back to me. I freeze for a moment. What do I do?

The music is pounding through my veins.

Someone walks by me and whistles. "Here dragon, dragon!"

I didn't change out of my Blue-Eyes attire or my Red-Eyes jacket. I take a deep breath and walk towards you.

You wear a sleeveless white jacket with a Blue-Eyes on the back… just like Seto when he left the mansion.

"Yami?" I ask.

You turn around, and my breath catches in my throat. You aren't you. You're Seto!

I must be dreaming! Wake up, Jou! Wake up! You're dreaming again! This isn't real.

"Hikari… I wasn't sure if you'd come," says Seto, "You're so late."

"Yami?" I ask quietly, "Seto?"

"Yes, Jou… my Hikari. It's me." It sounds like you. It sounds like Seto. I must still be dreaming. Why haven't I woken up yet?

"No… no!" I turn and run. Tears fill my eyes so I don't see Yugi and Ryou trying to stand in my way. My heartache is all I hear. I run out of the club and dive into the limo. "Home! Home!"

"Yes, Jounouchi-sama."

I collapse in a fit of tears. How could this have happened?

* * *

"Big brother!" exclaims Mokuba rushing out of the shadows and into Seto's arms. "What happened?"

Seto lifts Mokuba in his arms. "Let's go…"

Grandpa Motou, Ryou, and Yugi follow Seto and Mokuba out of the club.

"Seto? Are you okay?" asks Ryou.

"I guess he really did love Yami and not me…" Seto's voice cracks on the last word.

"I'm sorry, Seto," says Mokuba.

"What did he say?" asks Yugi.

"Nothing. He said nothing. He just called out my name… both of them… then he said 'no' and ran away," says Seto setting Mokuba on the trunk of his car. He closes his eyes. "I really do love him, but he…"

"You can't control who you fall in love with," says Grandpa Motou, "or who doesn't fall in love with you…"

"But we were doing so well!"

Mokuba wipes away the tears that spill through Seto's eyelashes. "We know, Seto. We all thought Jou would be happy to find out that you're his Yami."

"Did you want one of us to drive you home?" asks Grandpa.

Seto nods as his silent sobs rack his body. He pulls out the car keys and passes them to Grandpa.

Grandpa opens the car, and everyone gets inside.

Mokuba and Yugi share the backseat with Seto and try to comfort him as best as they can.

Grandpa drives the car back to the Kaiba Mansion here Mokuba leans out the window to punch in the code to open the gate. Then he drives up and parks in front of the house.

"You can take the car if you want to go home, but you're welcome to spend the night here," says Seto as they climb out.

Yugi looks at Grandpa who nods. He smiles. "We still have our luggage so we'll stay."

"I'm going to bed," says Seto leading everyone into the house. He stops by a locked cabinet, and after fishing out a small key, he retrieves a bottle of scotch that he carried upstairs with him. He pauses for a moment outside my room before continuing forward to enter his.


	9. The End

Love Shack

Love Shack

By

Hideki LaShae

Chapter Nine

I lie on the bed in a crumpled heap and cry into the pillow.

"Jou?"

I roll over and sit up to look at you. You've been crying too. "Why?"

"This is no time to play games. Why what?" In his sadness and despair, Seto snaps out at me.

"Are you really Yami? Did I just dream about going to meet him tonight?"

"I am your Yami," says Seto slowly, "You did come to the Love Shack tonight to meet with me, and you ran away…"

"How long have you known I was Hikari? How long have you been playing me for a fool?"

"Do you remember the night you first kissed Yami?"

I nod.

"I knew then who you were. I almost didn't go that night, but I had to see Hikari one last time. I had to say good-bye to him because I loved him," explains Seto setting the scotch on a small table by the door. He walks slowly towards me. "When Hikari kissed me, I realized that I was in love with you, Jou… with the true heart behind Hikari and not the mask!"

"Why didn't you tell me that you were Yami then?"

"Because when I found out that you're Hikari, I was so shocked that I became ill…"

My eyes widen. "When you were throwing up…"

"After hearing you tell Yugi that you're Hikari… I had an undesirable reaction to the truth," says Seto sitting down in front of me, "I didn't want the same thing to happen to you. I tried to get you to fall in love with the real me so that it wouldn't be so much of a shock when I told you the truth."

"It was still shocking," I say.

"How do you feel about all this, Jou? I've told you I'm in love with you. How do you feel about me?"

I wipe my eyes dry. "You idiot! Of course, I'm in love with you! I love Yami, but I went there tonight to tell him I fell in love with Seto!"

"Then why did you run?"

"I thought it was a dream, like the first time we had se… the first time we made love," I explain with a small smile, "Plus that's what I needed to do. You threw up. I ran away crying."

"Jou, will you be my Hikari, for now, for always? My lover? My friend? Will you mate with me the way your Red-Eyes has mated with my Blue-Eyes?" asks Seto.

I lean forward and kiss your lips. "Yes, I'll be your boyfriend."

"I was thinking more on the line of husband, but I guess we can discuss this later." You wrap your arms around me and hold me close to you.

My heart feels light enough to fly out of my chest. "We can talk about marriage tomorrow but tonight…"

You kiss my blushing cheeks. "I love you, Jou… more than I ever dreamed I could love anyone!"

"I love you, Seto! I love you just as much!"

"This calls for a celebration! What would you like to do?" you ask.

My cheeks redden even further.

You quirk an eyebrow at me.

I look down and fidget with the blankets. "Will you make love to me? I want to fly with you the way our dragons flew together at the Expo…"

"It would be a pleasure to make love to you," you say, "literally."

I chuckle. "I've taken you twice. Now, it's time for you to take me…"

"I'll make sure it is both our pleasure then," you say standing up, "Would you like a shower first?"

"No. We can take a bath together in the morning," I say slipping out of my jacket.

You remove your jacket and drape it over the foot of the bed. He peels off his muscle shirt and drops it to the floor. "If you want to fly like dragons, then we will dress as dragons…"

"Huh?"

You lift your jacket again and slip it on before turning your back on me. "Oh, look. I have a tail!"

I laugh and climb from the bed. I pull off my t-shirt as you turn back towards me.

You gasp.

"Oh, do you like it?" I ask removing my pants so you get a good look at me in the mesh bodysuit we found at my old house. "You did think my boyfriend would really like seeing me in it!"

"You're gorgeous!" You quickly remove your jeans, and your erection comes free. "How does that thing work? What's the access like?"

"Full access. You can take me or I could take you," I say pulling my hard cock from the confines of the fabric.

"Come on now, my precious Red-Eyes," you say lifting my jacket, "Put on your wings so we can fly."

I slide my trench coat back on and kiss you.

You pull my body flush against yours, and we dance around your room… or would it be our room now? The ends of our coats swing around our legs, like tails, as we dance, and you gather the items you want.

You dip me down onto the bed, and you hover over top of me. "You don't have to be quiet anymore, Jou. Be as loud as I know you can be!"

"There's no reason to be loud yet," I say, "You haven't even touched me!"

You pop the cap off the bottle of lube you found and squeeze some onto your hand. "I'll try to be gentle, dragon, but this still might hurt a bit."

"Puppy," I whisper.

"What?" you ask as you slide down my body.

"Call me your puppy. It's okay now," I say, "I am your puppy, and you are my master."

"Only sometimes, my puppy," you say, "I'm only your master sometimes." You engulf my penis with your mouth at the same time that you slip one finger into my anal passage.

I whimper.

You run your tongue up my length, applying a pleasurable pressure against the vein on the underside of my cock.

I moan and arch into you. "Seto, I need…"

You slip a second finger inside me as you tongue the head of my erection. You hum proudly when the tips of your fingers find my prostate.

I scream, "Dragon!"

"Hmm?"

"Too… too much… pleasure… can't take it!"

"Mm-hmm."

The vibrations of sound shoot straight through my very core and increase my pleasure ten-fold. "Seto… Seto…"

You slip a third finger into my loosened body and suck as much of my cock into your mouth as you can.

My member slides down your throat a short ways so that all of me is inside you. Part of my rational mind is surprised that you don't gag, but the pleasure you're inflicting on my penis and prostate chase away my rational side. All I can see is you. All I can feel is pleasure and a slight twinge of pain that I'm more than willing to play through. Pressure's building in my cock. I'm going to blow! "Seto! Coming!"

"Mm-hmm."

I moan loudly as I shoot my release down Seto's throat. I collapse, bonelessly to the bed. I can't move. I can barely see. White stars speckle my vision. I take a deep breath and notice Seto's fingers still stretching me and occasionally brushing my prostate.

You clean my waning member with your tongue before pulling your mouth away. "Are you okay?"

"Wow! We've got to do this again!" I exclaim.

"We will, but not tonight," you say with a smile as your fingers start to mercilessly assault my prostate. "You want to pleasure your lover, don't you, Jou, my sweet dragon puppy?"

"Yeah! I think I'm ready for you!" I blush as my cock hardens and erects again. Thank gods for the stamina of youth!

You slowly pull your fingers from my ass, and you move to kiss my lips quickly.

I taste myself on your lips, but I don't mind. As long as you love me, I'll love you.

You grab a pillow and place it beneath my hips to tilt me into a more favorable position, and you lift one of my legs over your shoulder. You slowly push just your tip into me. "I'll try to be gentle, Jou. Tell me if it hurts too much or I'm going too fast."

"So far so good," I say.

You thrust in gently, slowly. Are you even moving at all?

I gasp in pain as your cock stretches me further than your fingers had.

"I'm sorry."

"Keep going."

"I love you, Jou," you say continuing your small thrusts forward, "I never knew it would turn out this way with us, but…" You stop when my body fully encases your penis.

"I'm glad it did," I say with a smile. "I love you, Seto. Make love to me. The pain's great, but it'll go away…"

"I'm glad it did too," you say starting to pull back only to push back into me. After a few experimental thrusts, I scream as you hit my prostate.

All I feel is pleasure as you wrap your fingers around my member and start to stroke.

You thrust into me and hit my prostate with each movement. "You feel so good, Jou! So tight! So warm!"

In seconds, we're both reduced to moaning puddles of pleasure.

You kiss me as I release for the second time tonight so I moan loudly to tell you how much I enjoy our activity.  
My arms cling to you. My muscles clamp down tightly on your member inside of me.

You moan as your own sexual juices pour out into me, and you slowly pull out of our kiss. You take a deep breath before saying, "I love you, Jounouchi Katsuya! So very much, Jou…"

"It's okay for you to call me Katsuya if you want." I blush. I never let anyone call me by my given name. That's reserved for my sister, and she still calls me Jou half the time.

"Thank you. Thank you for giving me your virginity and taking mine. Thank you for loving me the way I love you. Thank you for letting me call you my puppy and Katsuya. I'll try not to wear out either name," you say planting a kiss to my lips for each sentence you speak, "and thank you for everything you'll do in the future." You slowly slide out from inside me, and you lie half beside, half on top of me.

The bottom of your trench coat tickles my legs.

"I think Kaiba Katsuya has a slightly better ring to it than Kaiba Jou," you say.

"We'll discuss it in the morning. After all, why would I have to take your name? You could be Jounouchi Seto," I say, "Or we could both change our names to something like Kaiba-Jou or Kaijou."

You chuckle.

"If you ask me in the morning, I'll gladly be a Kaiba," I say closing my eyes.

"Thank you for flying with me, Katsuya," whispers Seto, and you hold me close as we both fall asleep.

* * *

I have a slight limp as I walk into the dining room with Seto. The sex was great while it lasted, but now I feel like I have a rod shoved up my ass… Well, technically, I did last night…

"Morning, big brother Seto, big brother Jou," says Mokuba cheerily.

I smile at the small brunet. "Morning."

"We'll be sound-proofing both your bedrooms this week so you'll have to stay in the east wing until it's completed," says Mokuba.

I turn bright red.

You blush as well.

"Are they up yet?" asks Ryou carrying in a platter stacked with muffins. He smiles when he sees us together. "Congratulations, you two."

Yugi and Grandpa come in carrying the last of breakfast.

"We were a bit worried when we saw what happened at the club," says Yugi, "but I'm glad it worked out okay."

"And in case you're wondering, we were only eavesdropping long enough to hear you both confess your love," says Grandpa, "Then we all retired to the… what was it, east wing?"

Mokuba nods. "So no one heard you having sex, although it's clear you did from the way Jou's limping."

The doorbell rings.

"Let's answer the door, Jou," you say lifting me bridal style and rushing from the room. You set me down by the door and open it. You raise an eyebrow. "Pegasus?"

Pegasus smiles. He holds out a small wrapped box. "I just wanted to give you both an early wedding present. I was never planning to release these cards, but I see now that the game needs them."

"Um… thanks." I take the box from his hands.

"Enjoy your life together," says Pegasus turning to leave, "and please, invite me to the wedding!"

You close the door. "Crazy man, that Pegasus!"

"Let's open this in the dining room!" I exclaim.

"You don't suppose he'd give us a bomb, do you?" you ask following me to the dining room.

"He's crazy, but he's not really a murderer," I say taking my seat at the table, and you sit down beside me.

"Who was at the door?" asks Mokuba.

"Pegasus. He brought us an early wedding present," you say as I unwrap the box, "I don't know why he would think we're getting married. We hadn't even discussed it until last night."

I open the box and pull out the top Duel Monsters card. I reach out with my other hand and grab Seto's hand. "Seto! Look at this card!"

Your eyes widen. "Blue-Eyes Black Dragon? Four stars. Attack 1000. Defense 700. Dragon-Effect."

"Offspring of a B.E.W.D. and R.E.B.D. This card can only be summoned when a B.E.W.D. or R.E.B.D. is on the field. It gives the parent dragon a 1000 attack point increase, and it cannot be attacked while the parent dragon remains on the field. If both parents are on the same side of the field when this card is summoned, both parents' attacks are doubled. 1000 point increase no longer applies." I finish reading the card, and tears form in my eyes. "Our dragons have a baby!"

"Apparently they have two," you say pulling the next card from the box.

"Red-Eyes White Dragon! Four stars. Attack 1000. Defense 700. Dragon-Effect," I read aloud, "The effect is the same as the Blue-Eyes Black Dragon."

"There are more cards in here too," says Mokuba pulling out the rest of the cards, "One more Red-Eyes White Dragon and another Blue-Eyes Black Dragon. Plus there's an Adoring Red-Eyes Black Dragon. I think it's the same as Jou's Red-Eyes except with a different name. And this last one is an Amorous Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Stats are all the same as Seto's Blue-Eyes!"

"Hey, Seto! Ever think about another tattoo? One with our baby dragons?" I ask looking directly into your blue eyes.

"Only if you get one too," you say.

I smile. "Deal! Can I have your yin-yang design too?"

You smile. "Of course."

I hold out my hand for yours, and you intertwine our fingers. I know you'll work out the design for our baby dragon tattoos tonight, and tomorrow… Tomorrow we'll go to begin the work to have the yin-yang put on my right bicep and the babies on my left. The babies will go on your right bicep.

We balance each other perfectly. I am light, Hikari, you your darkness, Yami. We are a perfect yin-yang. And from now on we will fly together, soaring through life like our dragons.

The end.


End file.
